Rose Weasley, desperate for love
by talulahbridge
Summary: Rose wants a man, and finds one in the most unsuspecting place and though he is everything she ever wanted will they really be able to stay together forever or will a jealous ex keep getting in their way?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hey Rosie why the long face? Christmas at Grandma's not manic enough for you?" James joked as he dropped onto the well worn sofa beside her and nudged his cousin in the ribs. She smirked back at him but did not reply instead she stared around at the mass of people all crammed into the main living room of the Burrow. It had been the typical Weasley Christmas at the tottering old house where her Grandparents had lived for their whole married life, everyone gathered around the enormous wooden table eating turkey and stuffing with cranberry sauce and all the trimmings before wolfing down home made Christmas pudding and custard while Molly Weasley watched on proudly. Everyone had then retired to the living room groaning about their full bellies as they collapsed on the mismatched chairs and sofas which edged the room mostly cosied up in couples before the fire. "Come on Rose talk to me, what's wrong?"

"Like you really care, James," she said sarcastically.

"Hey," James retorted, "I do care when you're sitting here woe faced on Christmas day, you're making everyone miserable!"

"Get lost," she replied hitting him with a cushion which caused him to double over as it hit his full to bursting stomach.

"Seriously, Rose," he went on in a slightly winded voice, "I do care, talk to me."

"Since when?"

"Since I don't like to see people miserable on such a happy day," he answered stroking her arm in an attempt to show his sincerity.

"Merlin, getting serious with a girl has really turned you mellow dear cousin."

"Hey, I've never liked to see people miserable, so come on spill, what's making you so unhappy?"

Sighing loudly Rose turned to look at her dark haired older cousin, "I'm always the lonely one," she said gesturing to the multitude of couples in the room. Her parents and Aunts and Uncles had always been hopelessly in love with one another, especially her youngest Aunt, Ginny and her husband Harry who had a special bond unlike anything anyone had ever seen. This unique bond however was now reflected in their daughter Lily's relationship with her boyfriend and one time crush of Roses's, Raulph Krum. Almost everyone over the age of fifteen, including her younger brother, Hugo, had a partner with them this Christmas even the once serial womaniser, James who up until a few moments ago when she left to visit her own family had been ensconced in a corner with his own girlfriend, Annemarie.

"What happened to...Chris?" he asked hoping he had the right name, his closest cousin had dated many different people in the last year or so and as he only saw her sporadically now they were older he had trouble keeping up with the latest one. Rose winced at the sound of the name and James realised immediately that the relationship had yet again gone sour.

"You mean the git who neglected to tell me about his wife and children?" Rose barked and James' head shot backwards in shock.

"What?" he asked utterly flabbergasted.

"Oh yeah, beautiful wife and three year old twins, but it's alright he still wants to see me he just can't commit to anyone that's all!" she went on. Thinking over her past four relationships made her face fall again, she never quite managed to find anyone who would commit in any way and she was starting to think that there was something wrong with her. Chris worked at the Ministry and they had met four months ago in the atrium where he had bounded into her knocking all her important papers onto the floo. The handsome and charming young man had picked up the papers for her and offered to buy her a pumpkin juice in apology so after accepting his offer she had arranged to meet him in the Leaky Cauldron. There had sparked their feisty relationship, he had charmed her within minutes with his witty conversation and endless compliments about her hair, her eyes, her skin and by the end of the night they had been back at her small house and in her bed where she had enjoyed many hours of repeated sex with the blonde who was obviously slightly older than she was. He had taken her to heights she had never experienced before and knew when he left at close to midnight that she was deeply interested in the man.

They had continued meeting two or three times a week either at the Cauldron or at her home and one weekend he had even whisked her away to a pretty little Cumbrian village where they had stayed in a wizard bed and breakfast, barely leaving the room at all. By the end of the first week she was in love with the man but had found it strange that he would not introduce her to his friends or family, she had also found him cagy when it came to meeting her friends. However she had been so besotted with the man that she had not noticed this as strange until a few days prior to Christmas when she had been in Diagon Alley shopping with her old school friend, Sally Bones, whom she had not seen properly for six months. Unbeknown to Rose, Sally worked in the same department at the Ministry as Chris and thinking that they did not know each other she had introduced Rose to her lover in Madame Malkins where his stunning, dark haired wife had appeared from the changing rooms in dazzling green slinky robes. Sally had gone on to introduce Rose to the delicious Alista and their twin girls who had been running hyperactively around the shop. The bemused girl had stumbled through a short conversation which had made Chris very uncomfortable and then they had left to continue their shopping. Feeling as if she had been smacked in the heart with a bludger Rose had excused herself from Sally's company soon afterwards and returned to her house in order to process the devastating information she had just received. Three hours later her mother had flooed in and found the bushy red headed girl on the kitchen floor sobbing into a cushion. Rose had gone home to stay with her parents and brother for the few days leading up to Christmas and Chris had been unable to contact her there at all.

Spending Christmas with all these couples had been hard as all Rose really wanted in her life was someone to love who would love her back and she had struggled all day to put a smile on her face. "Do you want me to sort him out?" James asked supportively and Rose actually managed a chuckle, "Hey, what was that for? I am an auror you know!"

"Yeah an auror on probation," she laughed back.

"I can still do some pretty mean stuff to him if you want me to, they don't teach you the castration spell in auror training but I'm sure I could find it in one of the dark magic book in our archive library!"

"Hmm..." Rose pondered smiling, "that could be interesting!"

"See that's better," James said watching her, "you need to keep smiling!"

"I know," she replied, "but it's hard, you don't understand, you've never had your heart broken James Potter, you've always been the one doing the breaking!"

"I know," he said sheepishly, "but not anymore," he continued thinking about the dark haired beauty he had just spent the day with, James had never known happiness like he had at the moment and he could understand why Rose was feeling so down, if he lost Annemarie now James was not sure he would be able to cope either.

"Why can I never hold onto a man though?" Rose implored. Because you're too desperate James thought to himself knowing exactly why Rose had trouble holding onto a decent man, she had dated a few of his friends in their last years at school and they had all complained about her behaviour after a few weeks of being together. He knew that once Rose got into a relationship she clung on like a limpet desperate to spend every waking moment with them and most men were put off by it, she was so desperate to be in love that she drove them away but James knew he could never admit this to his cousin as she would be devastated if she realised that was what men thought about her. He was actually struggling to understand how Chris had managed to hide his double life from her for four months as he was sure Rose would have been as demanding with him of his time as she was with all other men she had been out with. However James just shrugged his shoulders convincingly at her as she turned to look back at the fire where Lily and Raulph were playing wizard chess on the sheepskin rug.

"What are you doing for New Year?" James asked changing the subject.

"Probably just staying in the house on my own," she replied sullenly. "Either that or going over to Grimmauld Place with Mum and Dad, that's where Hugo and Mandy are going."

"Why don't you come to the Cauldron?" he said.

"What, to watch more loved up couples kissing in the new year and toasting their relationships?" she barked, "No thanks I think Gran's turkey sandwiches and a large bottle of firewhiskey will suffice for me!"

"Come on Rose, not everyone will be in a couple," James pleaded, "Sal will be on his own, you can both sulk in a corner and grumble about people in relationships!"

"Why will Sal be on his own, what about Glors?"

"You haven't heard?" he asked then continued when Rose shook her head in response, "he caught her in bed with another bloke last week, called round at her flat to surprise her because he'd wangled a day off work and was going to take her shopping for a ring!" he pulled a wry face at his cousin who looked shocked, "He let himself in thinking she'd still be asleep and crept into the bedroom where he saw her going at it with a bloke from work."

"Oh my god!" Rose wailed.

"I know, definitely a shocker for all of us."

"But they were always so solid, when they started going out back in school we all thought it would be forever, they just seemed connected somehow, how awful. I can't believe she'd do that to him I mean he worshipped the ground she walked on!"

"Apparently it had been going on for a while she said something about them getting together too young before they'd had chance to sow their wild oats as it were."

"I bet Sal was gutted, he'd actually been going to propose too?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, he'd had it on the cards for a couple of months and had decided to wait until Christmas, he had this whole special day out planned where they'd end up in a jewellery shop and she could pick any ring she wanted."

"That's so romantic," Rose gasped almost crying for the poor man who she had grown up with and been at school with for seven years. Despite being the son of a school professor, who himself was a little dorkish, Salamander Longbottom had been a popular confident boy who had attracted many girls with his soft almost white blonde hair and brooding features. Rose even had to admit that there was a time when she had been quite taken with him herself but they had been childhood friends and she struggled to really think of him in that way. He and Gloria had got together in their fifth year at school and had always seemed like the forever type of couple even though many girls had tried to tempt Sal away from her but he had been forever faithful never straying from the dark haired beauty who many girls had become extremely jealous of.

"Well yeah, that's what she said when she found out what he had planned. She tried to apologise and say she'd been stupid, realising too late what she had actually had with Sal but he was having none of it, even though it broke his heart to say it he told her that it was over. He's barely left the flat since then and even Annemarie and I have been trying not to be too 'couply' around him.

"So what's he doing today?"

"He's with his Mum and Dad and Consuella, who has only just calmed down."

"I bet," Rose joked knowing how close the brother and sister were, Consuella was short and skinny where Salamander was tall and strong but she had always fought her own battles along with Sal's and she was fiercely protective of her older sibling.

"She was all on for going round to Gloria's and knocking her out until Sal persuaded her that it would not do him any good. She went round and had her say though, Lily was telling me the other day, screamed and shouted at her for a good half an hour but kept her hands to herself!"

"I wish I'd been a fly on that wall!" Rose chuckled remembering the temper that the younger Longbottom had, she was completely unlike both of her parents who were two of the most laid back people Rose had ever known. In her own school days their mother Luna had been known as Loony Lovegood and even though they had grown up knowing her as a close family friend Rose and her brother, Hugo, had always found her relaxed nature a little too laid back. Neville had always seemed a bit more 'normal' but he was still a quiet character who would willingly stand up for his family and friends but who rarely had to show it. Salamander had his father's temperament but Consuella had taken on a whole personality of her own resembling a rottweiler when wound up and Rose found herself feeling a little bit sorry for Gloria who had been on the receiving end of her wrath.

"So what do you say? Grace us with your presence and at least be miserable with another miserable friend instead of drowning yourself in a bottle of firewhiskey? Anyway if you are desperate to drink firewhiskey you can still do that at the Cauldron and at least you can share the fuel and it's after affects with an old friend!" He looked imploringly at his cousin and she found herself nodding her head thinking he was right, she could wallow in self pity and opposite sex loathing with an old friend instead of by herself with Gran's leftover.

"Alright," she replied nodding her head at James who had become much less of a wind up merchant since he had become involved with a woman.

"Great, we're getting there for about eight, I'll reserve you and Sal a quiet booth, a bottle of the good stuff and a couple of glasses shall I?" he chuckled and she swatted him on the arm but smiled in spite of her sombre mood and marvelled at the sudden caring nature that had appeared in the cousin she had bickered with her whole life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

By ten o clock on New Year's Eve Rose and Sal had drowned half of the bottle that James had promised them and they were both starting to smile a little bit. She had enjoyed catching up with the man who's face had never looked so unhappy before and had listened patiently to his tale when he had finally agreed to talk about it. It had taken a quarter of the bottle to loosen his tongue as he was obviously not anxious to relive the painful memory again. However he had managed to tell it this time without dissolving into a pit of despair and was starting to look a tiny bit brighter although, Rose mused, that could have just as much to do with the burning liquid they had consumed as it could to the patient ear she had offered. Eventually they had moved onto Rose's man problem and Sal had given her the same sympathetic ear as they continued throwing back glass after glass of red liquid.

"I think it's just me," Rose slurred topping up her glass again, "I either attract the wrong ones or I scare them off within the first month."

"Don't be stupid, it's not you," Sal replied from across the table trying to force a smile onto his face, "you just need a better screening process, find out whether they have a whole family in tow or not!"

"Cheers," she laughed swiping at his arm.

"Sorry, that was careless of me." Sal apologised straightening up and trying to put on a serious face, "But really, it's not you. Rose you are a pretty girl who could have the pick of any man, they just don't know what they're missing! Either that or they are too afraid to be with such a beauty!"

Rose felt the colour rise in her cheeks as she looked away demurely and whispered, "Sal!"

"Well it's true, all those single guys who've let you down must be stupid, I'll tell you what, they next one who comes along has to pass my test before they are allowed to date you! I'll make sure they are good enough for you first!" he joked and they both fell about in fits of giggles feeling alive for the first time in weeks.

The two old friends continued chatting for another hour before Rose let out a sudden groan when she set eyes on the very person who had made her Christmas and New Year miserable, "What's the matter?" her companion asked noticing the fall on her face. Without waiting for a response he turned around and followed her eye line, "Is that him?" he asked turning back and noticing the miserable expression which had crept instantaneously back onto her face.

"A-ha," she mumbled nodding her head almost imperceptibly.

"Want me to set Consuella on him?" Salamander joked half heartedly looking around for his sister who was also at the Leaky Cauldron with some friends.

"No," she replied downheartedly, "just keep talking to me," she went on trying to hide herself in the dark corner. She kept glancing in Chris' direction as they chatted in into the night, feeling her heart lift every time she did so. Every inch of her body longed to run towards him and let him hold her and kiss her and caress her, she was desperate for him to take her back to her bed and make love to her all night long while she pretended that she did not know he had a wife and two children at home. The only part of her body that stopped her was her head which even in her inebriated state kept on reminding her that she would only get hurt in the end. That knowledge however did nothing to alleviate her aching heart.

"It's not easy is it?" Sal interrupted her thoughts.

"Hmmm?" she replied slowly taking her eyes away from the tall, blonde haired man at the bar, "Sorry what?"

"Trying to get over the pain," Sal continued, "the heartache?" he went on nodding his head in the direction of the cheerful looking man buying rounds of drinks for his friends.

"No," she whispered shaking her head, "it isn't."

"Come on, try and forget, have another drink," he said quietly pouring out two more shots of firewhiskey for the two of them, "we'll get through it together," he sighed feeling exactly the same as she did. Stumbling upon the love of his life, who he had been on the verge of asking to marry him, with her legs wrapped around another man had been the most heart wrenching moment of his life. He had literally felt as though his heart had ripped itself from his body and crumbled before his very eyes and the last two weeks had been like hell on earth, every night he had been desperate to go to Gloria. It had taken every bit of strength he had to resist going to her flat and losing himself in her soft body and gentle touch but he knew that he would never be able to forgive her for what she had done and giving into her pleas now would only cause him more heartache in the end. He would never be able to trust her no matter what she promised him and though he ached unbearably he knew he had done the right thing.

By the time midnight was almost upon them both Rose and Salamander were merry in the drunken sense if not in reality, family and friends had joined them sporadically and at five to twelve Sal found himself looking around for Rose who had disappeared to the toilet a good ten minutes earlier. They had agreed to sit together as the clock struck twelve and toast in a new year that would be without heartache and he was beginning to worry that he would end up alone as she had still not emerged from the corner where the Leaky Cauldron's toilets were housed. Deciding that he could not bare the thought of ringing in the New Year completely by himself he set off in search of the bushy red head who he had enjoyed catching up with even if their conversation had been totally depressing. Salamander smiled at various people as he headed into the corner of the pub and eventually spotted her hair sticking out from behind the wall near the toilets, he could hear a muffled voice talking and noticed a man's foot near her's.

"Come on Rose," he heard the man saying, "we were good together, why can't we just carry on as we were, Alista never has to know about it and what harm can it do if we are both having a bit of fun?" Sal felt outraged as he realised who was speaking to her and was afraid that Rose would crumble and give in to the devious man who he knew she was still desperately in love with. She had shared with him the fact that she would struggle to resist him if they were alone together which was why she had gone home for Christmas where he would not be able to contact her and he knew that with the firewhiskey inside of her too she might bend to his will for just one night.

Hearing the countdown to the New Year begin to ring around the pub Salamander made a decision and strode purposefully towards the corner where he could see Rose pinioned against the wall by Chris' arm.

"Three...two...one," came the cheers from the bar as he reached the corner and pushed the creep out of his way.

"Excuse me," he spat at the man before looking Rose straight in the eyes and saying, "Happy new year darling, sorry I'm late," then taking the girl completely by surprise he leaned forwards and kissed her full on the lips, pushing himself on her with little force but gathering her into his arms as well. Initially Rose did not respond but her mind must have clicked into gear after a few seconds because she returned the kiss. Then they both pulled apart and Sal let her go from his arms as he took one hand in his, "Sorry to interrupt er..." he paused and allowed the flabbergasted man to insert his own name.

"C-Chris," he said looking at them both and noticing a smile forming on Rose's lips.

"Chris, sorry, I didn't know if I was going to make it in time and I only just got here, I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation but I wanted to kiss my girl at midnight," he smiled, "and if you don't mind I'd like to start the New Year with her, so forgive me but I am now going to whisk her away for a dance. Happy New Year," he added as he smirked at the bemused looking man and tugged gently on Rose's arm so she had to follow him to the dance floor where he took her in his arms again and began to sway to the soppy song being sung by a small band on the stage. "Sorry about that," he eventually whispered realising that Rose had not actually spoken since he had kissed her, he had thought he was doing the right thing by removing her from the situation but at the end of the day it was up to Rose and not him whether she saw the despicable bloke again.

"What?" Rose asked breathlessly, she was still reeling from the shock of being kissed so abruptly and was also beginning to realise that she had quite liked it.

"I just thought that maybe you needed a way out, I know it's your decision and if I did the wrong thing then I really am sorry," he implored looking into her eyes but she shook her head at him.

"It's...it's fine," she stuttered in reply, "yes...I...well I was struggling but I needed to get away and...and...thank you." It was all she could think of to say as she was still unsure of what she was thinking and feeling especially with the alcohol still inside her. When Chris had cornered her outside the toilet and pinioned her against the wall she had felt herself melt, the mix of firewhiskey and heartache made her want to bend to his will and she had been willing to give in and kiss the man at midnight. Salamander's sudden appearance followed by the swift kiss had both shocked and confused her but the reality of what she had been about to do had hit her quite quickly and she'd realised that he had beentrying to help her get out of the sticky situation.

"Good, I know it's hard but the right thing to do is to stay away from him Rose."

"I know," she nodded knowingly, "but you're right it is hard."

"He doesn't look too happy anyway, at least he might be feeling a bit of your misery now, he thinks you got over him in a flash and found someone else," Sal smirked nodding in the direction of the furious looking man standing by the bar with eyes which looked as if they could kill. Glancing over at him Rose had to smile, Sal had done the right thing for her and it felt quite good to make Chris feel jealous, "want me to kiss you again?" They both laughed as the slow song ended and a more upbeat tune began to play but Rose didn't answer his question. "Another shot?" he eventually asked as they decided to head back to their secluded booth in the corner.

"You're on!" Rose replied looking at the now almost empty bottle still sat on the table, "Did we drink all this?"

"Looks like it!"

"I'm going to have a sore head in the morning! I only hope Chris doesn't decide to show up on my doorstep, who knows what I'll do with this amount of firewhiskey inside me and no Mr Longbottom to come to my rescue!" After sobering up a little when Sal had kissed her the effects of the red liquid had now begun to creep back into her head and Rose plonked herself down on the worn leather seat of the booth they had occupied for the entire night.

"You're not going back to your house alone are you?" Sal asked.

"No where else to go! I'm not going home to Mum's after this much alcohol she'll be a nightmare in the morning, 'only yourself to blame you know,'!" Rose mocked taking on a convincing Hermione Weasley look, "She never has sympathy for people who have been drunk and she won't let you stay in bed or anything! She'll clatter around outside your door at seven am with a mop and bucket or the carpet sweeper! It's not funny," she chided as she saw her companion begin to chuckle, "I'm serious! That's what she does, even Dad doesn't go home when he's had a skin full, he'll sleep it off at Uncle Harry's until lunchtime and then brave Mum!"

"Why don't you come back to ours?" Salamander asked trying to contain his laughter, "James is staying at Annemarie's so you could stay in his room! He's a lot cleaner now that he has a girlfriend you know," he went on seeing the trepidation on Rose's face about staying in her male cousin's bed for the night, "I even saw him changing his sheets this morning! Go on you might as well, at least if Chris does decide to show up on your doorstep you won't be there!"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she conceded realising how little she relished the idea of going home alone to an empty house on New Year's Day, "but only if you let me make breakfast in the morning, for your hospitality."

"I'm sure I can manage that!"

"Settled then," Rose concluded as she poured them both another shot of firewhiskey and the two of them sat back and spent another hour drowning their sorrows in the tumblers of red liquid.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She could tell it was going to be the hangover from hell before she even opened her eyes, the pounding in her head reminded her instantaneously of how much alcohol she had consumed the previous night and the dry feeling in her mouth and throat only added to the pain and misery. What time did I get in? She thought to herself as she struggled to peel her eyes open. As one eye propped itself open she began to survey her surroundings, it definitely wasn't her room that she could see for a start it was extremely tidy and very minimal, no makeup strewn across the dresser or clothes discarded in piles on the floor. She remembered drinking a lot and she remembered almost giving in to Chris outside the toilet until Salamander helped her out, then she remembered him saying she should stay in James' bed just in case the git decided to make a night time call to her house. However the rest of the evening was very hazy and she couldn't even recall getting back to her cousin's flat with her old school chum, sighing deeply she rolled over in bed and then her heart caught in her mouth as she saw a mop of bright blonde hair on the pillow next to her.

Suddenly becoming slightly panicked she lifted the covers to gaze down at her own naked body and felt her heart beat wildly as she glanced across and saw that the body in bed beside her was also naked. At that same moment the lean muscular Salamander Longbottom rolled onto his back and stretched up as he began to rub his eyes. Obviously suffering from the same affects as Rose it took him a while to open his own eyes but when he did the shock which shone on Rose's face was instantly mirrored in his own.

"Rose?" he coughed glancing down himself and also realising that they were both in the same bed, and both naked. Yanking the covers up to her neck she looked away from his eyes and began to fiddle with the edge of the deep aubergine trim. "Did we...?" the embarrassed young man went on looking at his life long friend and trying to rack his brains to remember anything about the previous evening. He recalled kissing Rose at midnight to save her from the bloke who had broken her heart and he remembered telling her to stay at their flat in James' room but everything else was a huge blur, in fact everything else from that moment on was actually missing from his brain. Had James and Annemarie come back after all and Rose had had to share his bed? But that didn't actually explain why they were naked and if that had been the case Salamander would graciously have given up his bed and slept on the sofa.

Rose was also searching through her brain as she tried to answer the question, she could not remember anything but she certainly felt as if she had been thoroughly shagged and she was starting to realise that that was the only explanation for their situation, "I...I...think we might...I...I can't...can't remember...anything."

"Me neither," Salamander replied reaching up to rub his throbbing head and beginning to feel more embarrassed, why could he not remember anything? Had he forced himself on the vulnerable young girl? No he wouldn't have done that he was sure, but they had been so drunk, surely it was just because they had both been feeling a bit fragile and lonely. "I'm...sorry?" he said as he moved to the edge of the bed and searched out something to wrap around himself.

"It's not your fault," Rose whispered still rubbing the edge of the covers against her chin, "I think we both had too much to drink."

"Yeah," he added locating a towel folded on the chair by his bedside and pulling it onto the bed, "I'll...I'll give you some..." he coughed uncomfortably as he tried to get out of the bed and wrap the towel around himself without exposing Rose to his groin. "Some space," he finished wrapping the towel around himself swiftly and walking over to the bedroom door where he lifted his bathrobe from the hook on the back and put it on. "Coffee?" he asked and Rose nodded as she watched him leave the room and close the door behind him. As soon as it was closed she laid her head against the pillow and racked her brain again to find any little piece that would tell her what had happened. They must have slept together, why else would they both be naked? Opening her eyes she glanced around the room again and started to notice a few discarded items which looked totally out of place in this pristine and tidy room, like a black lacy bra which was hanging from the edge of a shelf, a tooth floss thong near her black stilettos which were laid haphazardly by the door and her skimpy deep purple dress in a pile on the floor on the other side of the bed where it looked to have been hastily discarded. Her cheeks were flushing as she clearly noticed the signs of passionate and hasty sex between two people who just wanted to get down to it and they became redder as she tried to imagine Salamander's hands on her white skin, probably touching all the intimate areas of her body before they came together as one person.

Rose shook her head in slight embarrassment as she continued to imagine what it must have been like, she had been friends with Salamander all her life and though she had gone through a faze of finding him attractive when she was an adolescent she had always struggled to see him as anything more than her childhood friend and Professor Longbottom's son. Mulling it al over she sat up on the edge of the bed and began to gather her things to put on. After dragging her dress over her head and smoothing it down she stood up and glanced in a mirror above a chest of drawers in Sal's bedroom, her makeup was smeared across her face and her hair was wildly out of control. It was always big and bushy but she managed to tame it for a special evening out using a hair charm however the charm had definitely worn off and it was now as bushy as ever and flattened on the side of her head where she had slept on it.

Walking into the en suite bathroom to Salamander's room she washed her face and tried to make something of her hair which she eventually scraped back into a long pony tail and tied with a small elastic band which she conjured with her wand. Feeling a little self conscious about being back in her rather short, figure hugging dress again she cast one more cursory glance in the bathroom mirror and then retrieved her high heel black sandals before taking a deep breath and opening the door to Sal's bedroom. She was relieved to see that James had not returned home yet and let out her breath as she headed for the kitchen area where Salamander was busy brewing two cups of coffee, he had found some clothes from somewhere and was now clad in baggy tracksuit bottoms and a quidditch shirt. As he heard her approach he turned around and she flushed immediately when she saw his face, "Coffee?" he asked again proffering one of the cups towards her.

"Cheers," she said gratefully as she took the large mug and tried to drown herself in it. She could not look him in the eye and he appeared to be having the same problem, Rose was also acutely aware that she was still in the previous evening's clothes while Sal was more comfortably dressed. They stared awkwardly around the room trying to find a topic to talk about but nothing came to mind so Sal busied himself clearing away the things he had used to make coffee.

"Can I fix you something to eat?" he asked trying to sound casual.

"No, thanks..." she stuttered, the thought of food really turned her stomach and the longer she sat in uncomfortable silence the more she wanted to get home to her own place and out of the awkward situation she was in, "the coffee's enough. I...I really should get going though, I think Mum and Dad were going to call over today, what time is it anyway?"

"Eleven," he replied glancing at his watch.

"Oh...well...well...as I said I should be going I...I..." she continued to stutter as she stood up and steadied herself on her feet, "th...thanks for..." what? She thought to herself, keeping her company all night? Rescuing her from Chris? Or making sure she didn't shag her ex by shagging her himself?

"Yeah," Salamander coughed uncomfortably, "y...you too...I'll...I'll see you...er?"

"Soon," Rose interjected as she walked towards the fireplace. Salamander followed and when she reached the inglenook in the corner she turned to face him and he leaned down to kiss her cheek, she flushed immediately and then without another word jumped into the fireplace and disappeared in a whirl of flames.

The moment she had disappeared from view the front door to the flat opened and James Potter walked through, "Happy New Year mate," he bellowed sounding far too bright for Salamander's liking. "Did you two have a good night wallowing in the corner?" he asked looking innocently at his friend.

"What? Oh...oh yes it was...was nice to catch up really you know."

"I saw you dancing at midnight and then you were back at that table but I can't remember seeing you leave, we we're there till about four but you had both gone before then."

"To be honest mate I can't remember," Salamander joked half heartedly. When he had left the bedroom to organise some coffee and allow Rose to dress without embarrassment he had sat in the kitchen and racked his brain to try and recall anything about the rest of the night that would have led the two of them to sleep together. He remembered going back to the table and continuing to drink from the firewhiskey bottle and after a little more probing he had remembered them deciding to floo back to his flat so that Rose would be safe from Chris' possible visit. He knew he had taken Rose by the arm and escorted her to the large open grate in the Leaky Cauldron but anything after that was completely erased from his brain, he tried and tried but it was not there anymore and he had no idea how or why they had ended up in his room together and he didn't even know if it had been he or Rose who had initiated it

"Well you did finish the bottle," James said interrupting his new attempt to extract a memory from his jumbled brain, "every time I looked at you, you were pouring out another shot, I take it you have a bit of a thick head this morning too?" Salamander nodded his head at his friend. "I wonder how Rose is feeling! Much the same I would imagine by the way you were both attacking that bottle! I'm guessing she went home and not to her Mum and Dad's, Aunt Hermione would have her up at the crack of dawn if she was there with a hangover!" he laughed jovially and the confused man still nursing a cooling cup of coffee felt a little envious of his bright and sparkling mood.

"Yeah, probably," he muttered desperate not to betray what had occurred between them the previous night.

"Well I'll leave you to nurse your hangover," James said as he headed in the direction of his bedroom, "I'm only back here to get changed and then I'm off for dinner with Annemarie's Mum, Dad and sister," he went on, "then we're going to call over at Grimmauld place, any plans for the rest of the day?"

Trying to work out what the hell happened last night he thought to himself but he just shook his head at his flatmate who closed his bedroom door behind him as he went on to get ready. Salamander was still searching through his blurry jumbled mind when James reappeared in the room twenty minutes later looking refreshed and wearing clean clothes, "Did Vernon catch you last night?" he asked as he buttoned up his crisp, newly ironed shirt, "About his birthday next week?" Salamander recalled Vernon talking to him about something but the topic of conversation had been mingled into the mess in his mind so he shook his head in reply. "He's having a party at Mum and Dad's on Saturday," James went on as he attempted to tame his wild Potter hair which was not only the same as his father's in colour but also in style as it never stayed flat. "Everyone's going, Albus, Lily, Hugo, Rose," he felt his heart skip a beat at the mention of her name and he was sure that his cheeks flushed but if they did James did not notice as he continued to reel off all the members of the Weasley family. "You're Mum and Dad are invited too and Consuela," he finished not noticing any change in Salamander at all, "six o clock I think he said. Anyway I'm off to do my duty with the 'in laws,'!" he chuckled before turning on the spot and apparating with a loud POP leaving Salamander once again alone with his thoughts searching through them to find any tiny memory of the return to his flat the night before.

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When Rose stepped out of the fireplace into her own, cold house she shivered and ran into the bedroom to find something warm to wear. Discarding the previous evening's clothes on top of a heap of others she dragged on a pair of loose fitting trousers and an overlarge sweater before returning to the living room to light the fire and try to bring some life to her home. She had not been inside it properly for over two weeks as she had been staying with her parents for the Christmas period, hiding away from Chris, she had flooed in once to pick up some fresh clothes and an outfit for last night but now she knew she had to return to living in it. After a few minutes the living room had begun to warm and she left it to make another strong cup of coffee which she hugged in her hands as she slumped into a chair and stared at the glowing flames trying to piece together anything about the later events of last night.

How on earth had she ended up in bed with Salamander Longbottom? Yes he had kissed her but that had been to rescue her and not for anything else, they had both known and understood that and had continued to chat and drink as the amiable old friends that they were. How had going to sleep in James' bed translated into shagging Sal in his own? It had to have been the firewhiskey combined with the fact that they were both heartbroken and lonely, the amount of alcohol had obviously affected them and all Rose could hope was that it had not affected their friendship in the same way. Her family were very close to the Longbottoms and they were always at all family occasions, she would not be able to avoid Salamander and besides he had been her friend for a long time, she did not want to have to avoid him for the foreseeable future. Curling up and deciding to take a nap on the sofa she thought to herself that it was definitely the booze and the occasion which had led them to do what ever they had done and she was adamant that Sal would be thinking the same thing too.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Throwing her bag and cloak onto a chair in the living room Rose sighed and headed straight into her bedroom to get changed, it had been a long day at work and she now had to dash straight out again to her cousin, Vernon's, birthday party. It was the last thing she felt like doing as she had been dealing with a mountain of paperwork which had sent her eyes funny and had also had to endure yet more gifts, love notes and persuasion from Chris who refused to leave her alone. He had managed to position himself in the Ministry elevator every morning and evening when she jumped in and since her return to work on the second of January she had struggled to get through each day as she now had no excuse to avoid him, he worked in the Ministry too and knew what time she arrived and left. Once or twice she had shown up to work or left early or late but on those days he had sent flowers and owls to her office with sickly sweet messages attached saying how sorry he was and how much he loved her but she had been strong for once and ignored every attempt he made to contact her. At least in the elevator there were always lots of other people so it was hard for him to really talk to her which, she assumed, was why he had started to send daily messages by owl.

He refused to believe that she was really seeing 'that dorker' as he referred to Salamander and she had not been able to deny the fact that she wasn't. What he actually thought she was going to agree to she did not know, he had no intention of leaving his wife and family and she could only assume that he wanted her to have a torrid affair with him and nothing else. But that was not what Rose wanted at all and she kept trying to make it clear to him, however his standard response was that she was a young girl who should be out having fun rather than being tied down to one person, she could live the single life but still have wild and passionate sex with him every few nights. That comment had received him a slap across the face but he had only chuckled and called her feisty which had wound her up even more. They had been in the elevator alone for the first time at the end of the day and he had whisked her into his arms and tried to kiss her but she had slapped him again and flounced out of the lift on the wrong floor using the stairs to get down to the floo network.

Now the last thing she felt like doing was socialising with all the family but she could not refuse to go and after changing out of her work robes she dragged herself wearily back to the fireplace in time for her timed floo appointment. Throwing green powder into the air she shouted, "Number twelve Grimmauld Place," and appeared seconds later in the bustling kitchen of her Aunt and Uncle's family home.

"Rose," said a familiar voice as she stepped out of the fireplace in the kitchen.

"Sal," she coughed a little awkwardly as she straightened up and looked into the face of the man she had not actually seen or spoken to since leaving his bed on New Year's day, "how...how are you?" she coughed trying to sound casual but feeling the colour rise in her cheeks already as she uncontrollably tried to picture his hands touching her naked body.

"Good, good...you?" he stuttered in reply obviously feeling as uncomfortable as she did, was he picturing the same thing that she was? Rose had tried and tried to remember anything about the early morning events of New Year's Day but had come up with nothing and she had been worried about seeing Sal at the party as she was not sure how they would act around each other now. She also did not want people to see them acting strangely with each other and guess what had happened between them so she took a deep breath and tried to act normally.

"Not too bad," she lied thinking once again about Chris' recent bombardment, "working a lot and feeling tired!"

"Sounds familiar," he replied relaxing a little now that she had spoken to him, it was clear to Sal that she was feeling a little uncomfortable but he was as anxious as she was to return to normal without anyone finding out about their little slip.

"Where's the birthday boy?" she asked feeling the need to get away from him, it would not be easy to go back to normal and after the day she had had Rose didn't know if she would have the energy to stop trying to picture Sal's hands all over her naked body every time he spoke to her.

"Over there," he nodded and she smiled sweetly before walking over to give her cousin a birthday hug and hand over the present she had brought with her.

"Hey Rose, thanks!" Vernon replied before turning to greet another guest who had just flooed into the room. Rose took the opportunity to find a seat and sit down at the kitchen table hoping to take a minute or two and get over her hectic day.

"Happy New Year Cus!" said another familiar voice as someone dropped into the seat beside her, "Seems like you had a good night at the Cauldron!" her cousin James joked, "Though I imagine it was a bit different when you woke up!" he continued and immediately she felt her cheeks flush, had Salamander told him what had happened? They were best friends but she had assumed he would keep it to himself as they were both clearly embarrassed about it.

"Wh...what?" she stuttered.

"Well Sal looked like death and I assumed you were the same!" Had it been that shocking to wake up with her she thought, "I suppose you were feeling pretty regretful about it all too!" he laughed and she began to feel the Granger anger rise in her that she got from her mother. Had he told her cousin that he regretted sleeping with her? It hadn't been Rose's finest moment but she didn't exactly regret it she was just confused about how it had all happened.

"I...we..." she couldn't actually form any coherent words as she felt so affronted.

"He didn't tell me much about it all," thank god Rose thought to herself knowing that if he did remember something telling her cousin about her in bed was the last thing she wanted. "Mind you he was that shocking on New Year's day I don't think he spoke to anyone! He did say he was never going to do it again though as it had felt so bad! But we all say that at some point in our lives don't we?"

"He...said...he said it was bad?"

"Yeah!" James laughed and Rose felt herself getting angry with him too, it was bad enough that Salamander had made a joke out of her but for James to do it too was unforgivable, "But surely you agree with him? Like I said we've all been there at some point haven't we?"

"We...all?" she was too furious to form real words and needed to get out of the room as quickly as possible before she screamed at two of the guests in front of everyone. The last thing she wanted was for more of her family to find out so she decided she would leave it be for the time being and visit the toe rag and his flatmate after the party where he would give both of them a piece of her mind. Perhaps she was not going to be friends with Salamander Longbottom anymore if this was what he thought of her.

"Rose?" James asked curiously as she stood up and left the room without another word but he just shrugged his shoulders and put her behaviour down to a rough day at work. He had only been trying to have a joke with her about the other week but she obviously could not take it like his flat mate could.

She hurried up the stairs away from the noise in the kitchen and sought refuge in her Uncle Harry's quiet study. She was absolutely fuming and was already forming in her mind what she would say first of all to Sal for treating their little mistake so casually and secondly to her cousin for quite openly making fun of the situation. How many other people had Sal told? And for that matter how many people had James told? It was obviously just a bit of fun to him, a chance to relive his own wild single days vicariously through someone else but she was not going to have it. So Sal had said it was bad, did that mean he could remember it all? Had she been so terrible in bed that he had had to tell her cousin about it? Part of her wanted to ask him now what had happened as he clearly remembered more than she did but she also did not think she could bare to hear it if he thought her such a disappointment in the bedroom. Why had she drunk so much?

Glancing around the study she saw all of her Uncle's weird and wonderful things, this room was his own little haven where he kept all of his memorabilia from his days of fighting as an auror. That had been before she had been born, in fact he had given it all up when his first son, James, had been born but everyone knew he had been a fantastic auror who had captured many dark wizards in his days. The also knew that he had been the saviour of the wizarding world as they had studied him in history of magic and Defence against the dark arts at school. It had been strange to learn about her Uncle in school lessons, reading about the things he and her own parents had done to bring down the darkest wizard ever known and she was so proud of them all.

On the shelf above her were faded photographs of her Uncle and Mum and Dad in their days at Hogwarts along with old, well used sneakoscopes and other dark wizard sensors. A broken shard of glass with age stains leaned up against a contained golden snitch which shined as brightly as it probably did the day it was caught as she knew her Uncle polished it regularly. All around the room were various cupboards and shelves packed with books and old devises, Rose remembered her Uncle Harry once showing them around the room when she was about eight or nine, he had explained to her and her brother, Hugo, what everything was and she had been in awe, especially when he had shown her a beautiful carved stone basin which had once belonged to his old Head teacher, Professor Dumbledore. The pensive she thought to herself and gasped, in the cupboard nest to the desk she remembered standing up and opening the dark mahogany door. Behind it was the magnificent basin carved with patterns and runes, it was empty and looked like any other basin but Rose knew the magic that it could perform, the magic which could actually put her on an even keel with the despicable Salamander Longbottom.

She had never actually extracted anything from her mind before but her anger and indignation at her cousin's comments spurred her on and she withdrew her wand from her pocket and placed it against her temple. Concentrating hard on the blurry mass in her mind which was New Year's Eve she began to pull out a long swirling ribbon from her head which was neither liquid nor gas and she emptied it into the pensive below her. She looked at the white mass and stirred it with her wand feeling a little bit of trepidation about looking into it, Rose had read about pensieves before but this was the first time she had ever actually used one and she felt a little nervous about what would happen and also about what she would see. Putting her head into it she felt a strange falling sensation before finding herself stood beside the fireplace in James and Sal's flat.

It was dark in the room, the only light was that which the fire gave off, and she could see herself lolled on the sofa with a glass of something in her hand, she was laughing and looked very drunk. Sal was in the chair beside her nursing a tumbler himself and snorting a little at what ever they had just been saying. Seeing him in the chair made the anger rise in her throat again and she had to remind herself that this was only a memory and not reality so she could not swipe him across the face like she longed to do.

"So here's to a New Year of loneliness!" Rose from New Year's Eve toasted holding her glass precariously in the air in the general direction of Salamander and chuckling, "Start as we mean to go on eh?"

"Na, that's not true!" Sal replied refusing to chink her glass as he sat up.

"Of course it's true!" her other self replied trying to sit up, "We're alone to start the year and we'll be alone to finish it no doubt! Well at least I will be, I never find the right man," she slurred, "I'm obviously that bad!"

"Don't be silly," Salamander replied, "you're not bad! They just don't know what they are missing!"

"Whatever," she went on slumping back into the chair, "I'm desperate and ugly and scare them all away, well except for the gits who just want me as a bit on the side because their wives have turned into bitter shrivelled up prunes!"

"You're not ugly Rose," Sal went on and the sober Rose who was watching felt herself grow hot on the cheeks again, had he really paid her that compliment? "You have plenty to offer anyone, not just the married arseholes!"

"Like what?" she retorted without looking up to see Sal who was straightening himself in his chair and coughing as if about to make an important speech.

"You are beautiful and witty and intelligent. You care for everyone and will do anything to make someone happy."

The drunken Rose had sat up at these words and a strange expression had crossed her face, "Really?" she asked perching on the end of the sofa and smiling with embarrassment.

"Yes," Sal replied moving to sit next to her on the couch, "I've always thought that, you're one of the most caring people I have ever known and you have lovely long hair and pretty brown eyes."

"Th...thankyou," Rose from New Year stuttered as the sober Rose watching on began to blush again, is this what started it all? She thought to herself, was he making these compliments because he wanted to initiate something? Was he going to kiss her now? Sober Rose felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought and watched on eagerly momentarily forgetting that she was angry with the tall blonde haired man sat beside her past self on the couch.

"It's true," he said and Rose waited watching intently for him to lean over and kiss her but she was surprised to see that her own bushy haired self was the one to lean over and kiss Salamander Longbottom square on the lips passionately. She watched his arms rise up around her and pull her close as the kiss deepened and her own hands reached up to touch his face. The present Rose felt her stomach flip a little as she watched and she had to look away for a second to compose herself, after a few moments however she glanced back and saw that they had broken apart. Neither of the drunken couple spoke as they stared at each other for a few seconds and then they both leaned forwards to kiss again wrapping their arms tightly around one another as they both stood up and began to stumble haphazardly towards the bedroom knocking over a side table on the way, Rose followed them to the doorway and slipped inside before it closed. She watched on as her former self began to unbutton the shirt Sal was wearing while he tugged down the long zipper at the back of her dress, neither of them pulled away from the kiss until he was completely naked and she was wearing her underwear and heels. Present day Rose could not take her eyes off the strong muscular body of Salamander Longbottom there displayed in all his glory, he was fully erect and she found herself blushing again while the past Rose smiled, kicked off her shoes and discarded her underwear before grabbing hold of his large member and pulling him with her towards the bed where she let go and laid back giggling seductively.

Past Rose lifted up her knees on the bed as Salamander lowered himself onto her, his hands touched her body and present day Rose felt herself grow hot and excited even though he was not actually touching her now. He ran his hands over her small breasts and flicked the nipples tenderly making her moan and throw back her head in desire. The naked Rose lifted her hands to Sal's chest and began to stroke the think hair between his pecks which she tugged gently as if willing him to take her. The now flushed spectator watched his tight bottom lift up as he took her and listened to her gentle groans and deep breaths as he rose and fell above her, she felt as if she was intruding even though it was her own experience she was watching but she could not bare to tear herself away as she looked at the picture she had tried to imagine for the last two weeks. All thought of berating the man had left her head as she watched him take as much pleasure in her as she had in him and after a few moments she heard him cry out her name as he pushed himself one last time inside her and then collapsed on top of her.

"Rose," shouted another voice and she glanced around to see who else was in the room, she had momentarily forgotten the fact that she was watching this in a memory and suddenly remembered that she was actually at her Uncle's house watching the events in his pensieve. The voice she had heard was not part of the memory and with one last glance at the sated couple on the bed she brought herself out of the swirling fog in time to hear footsteps on the stairs outside followed swiftly by the voice of her mother repeating, "Rose." Not wanting to be found snooping in her Uncle's private things she hastily closed the door to the cupboard and started flicking through a book on the desk where her mother found her minutes later. "Rose, what are you doing up here? We're about to eat downstairs."

"I'll be there in a minute," she replied needing a couple of minutes to compose herself after what she had seen and remembering now why she had wanted to see it. It didn't look as if Sal had had that bad a time and she now wanted to know why he had said that, was it simply because it had been with her that he regretted it because he certainly had not appeared to have had a problem while they were in the throws of passion.

Everyone was sat at the table when she walked in the kitchen and she immediately saw Salamander which made her blush furiously again, she didn't actually know if she felt more or less awkward now that she had seen what happened but she did know that she now had a very clear image of Salamander Longbottom touching her bare flesh. Hastily glancing away she dropped into a seat beside her taunting cousin and decided to ask him if he had shared the information with anyone else. "Have you told anyone else about New Year's Day?" she asked.

"I don't think we needed to everyone already knows!" he laughed and she felt herself grow angry again.

"What?" she blustered.

"Well it was pretty obvious Rose."

"What do you mean obvious? How can it have been obvious?"

"The amount of firewhiskey you drained, I think there's only your Mum and who don't know!"

"Thank god!" she shrieked.

"Rose," he whispered, "they do know that you do it, you are a grown up now!"

"Yeah but they don't need to know when I am...doing it," she flushed again, "and neither does everyone else!"

"Well if you want to keep it a secret don't do it in front of everyone!" he guffawed.

"What...I...we...what do you mean in front of everyone?"

"If you don't want people to know then don't do it in front of everyone." He stated matter of factly with a confused look on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked feeling her blood boiling.

"Downing a bottle of firewhiskey in front of a bar full of people, what are you talking about?" he asked with a hint of intrigue to his voice.

"Oh..." she said, "that, yes...yeah you're right I shouldn't have," she continued, realisation suddenly dawning on her. He had been talking about the hangover not what had happened between she and Salamander, he hadn't told him all about it, he had kept it to himself and she had felt bad for the last hour with no actual reason to. Rose now felt even more stupid about using the pensieve to see what had happened as she realised Sal probably had not known any more than she had an hour ago and as she glanced across the table at him she felt her heart flip as she saw his hand on her bare breast again and she had to look away quickly before he caught her eye.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Sal," James called a few days later as he flooed into the flat after a hectic day at work, "you here?"

"Bathroom," he replied.

"I need to talk to you," James chuckled and a few minutes later Salamander appeared from the bathroom and sat down in the living room where his flatmate had opened them both a couple of butterbeers, he had a sly look on his face and Sal began to feel wary as he sat down.

"Go on then," he said jovially wondering what he was going to say, maybe he had decided to move in with Annemarie and he was about to leave him in the lurch.

"Did you sleep with Rose?" he asked bluntly as Sal took a swig of butterbeer from the bottle.

"What?" he blurted spitting the contents of his mouth all over himself in shock.

"I knew it," James laughed.

"How do you...did Rose tell you?" he asked curiously, they had not actually spoken about it since it had happened and he was assuming that Rose was keeping it as quiet as he was.

"Well no," he went on, "I needed to borrow Dad's pensieve to go over a few memories to do with an old case at work so I called there tonight before I came home. When I opened the cupboard I saw memory fog swirling around and realised that someone had left it behind so I peeked in and saw the two of you, here on New Year's I watched you talking for a few minutes and then you kissed and headed into your room." He gestured towards Salamander's room with his head and concluded, "I didn't watch anymore but it was pretty obvious what you were going to do!" He raised one eyebrow then as he watched the colour rise in his flatmate's cheeks. "I take it that the memory was Rose's?"

"Well it wasn't mine," Sal replied looking away from his friend.

"She must have done it at the party last week, oh..." he went on pausing for a second, "that's what she must have been talking about when..."

"When what?"

"I was teasing her about getting drunk in front of everyone and she seemed to be taking it quite badly saying that no one needed to know, she must have thought you'd told me about it all and I was taking the piss! No wonder she was so touchy," he chuckled. "So, what happened?"

"I don't know," Sal replied, "I can't remember! The last thing I know is that we left the Cauldron together, she'd been collared earlier by that married guy and I took her away from him giving her a kiss and pretending that we were together." James' eyes grew wide at the mention that there had been a kiss, "But then she was worried that he might call at the house when she was alone and she'd give in to him so I told her to come back here and stay in your bed seeing as you'd be at Annemarie's. Anyway I remember us flooing back here but the rest is a blur, we woke up the next morning in my bed and both felt very embarrassed about it all."

"Well I reckon that memory will tell you what happened!" James joked, "Rose must have had the same trouble recalling it and decided to find out what had really gone on! So you've only seen her at Vernon's party since then?"

"Yeah, I left her to get dressed again and then she left just before you came home on New Year's Day, I only saw her for a minute last week at the party and we haven't talked at all."

"So why do you think it happened? Do you fancy her?"

"I don't know, I've never thought of her like that before, I mean she's pretty and intelligent and all but she's always been your cousin and a friend, I never tried to see her as anything else. In the morning I assumed she was embarrassed about it all and wanted to forget it ever happened, as you knew we had drunk – a lot!"

"Well I don't know about forgetting it," James chuckled as he waved a clear vial around in the air, "It seems clear that she wanted to see it again or even see it for the first time if she couldn't remember! I corked it up so no one else found it, don't want the rest of the family stumbling across something this juicy!"

"Hey!"

"Are you going to watch it?" James goaded, "I could get you a floo appointment to Mum and Dad's if you want it's in Dad's study!"

"No!" Salamander shrieked indignantly.

"Why not? It'll be better than looking at Witch Tits!" he joked referring to the most famous wizarding men's magazine, "At least you'll be starring in it!" he laughed raucously.

"Piss off James!" he replied launching a cushion at his flatmate who dived out of the way before it hit.

"Hey, you'll be the one that's mad when the flat's a mess!" he giggled trying to sit up but watching for any more flying furnishings. "Go on, don't tell me you don't want to see it!"

"Well..."

"I knew it, you do like her!"

"I don't know," Sal replied shyly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" James asked becoming more serious, his friend had been hurt badly recently and he knew his cousin had too. While the thought of Sal and Rose getting together had been quite exciting to James he was also aware that they would both treat anything new with trepidation and he didn't want either one to be hurt again.

"Like I said I've never thought of Rose in that way before we've grown up together and were at school together. I mean she is a beautiful girl and she's great company but she's your cousin and I'd always been with Gloria."

"But...?"James interjected sensing that this thought about his cousin was changing inside Sal's head.

"Well ever since New Year's-"

"You've been thinking about her!" James interrupted excitedly.

"Well not exactly but I haven't been thinking about Glors, in fact I haven't even cared about Gloria and what she did, it suddenly didn't seem to matter anymore and I actually felt quite relieved that we weren't together anymore, not because I would have been cheating if we had but I guess because...I was glad it had happened, I just wish I could remember it."

"Watch the memory," James returned, "I'm serious we can go home and do it now."

"No, I can't, I'd feel like I was intruding on Rose's memory."

"But it's your memory too Sal."

"Yeah but from Rose's perspective, it's hers and I'd feel like I was violating her," he said honourably.

"Well we could always use your memory."

"No, it's best left in the past and out of my head I think, that's what Rose wanted I'm sure."

"Whatever you say mate but you'd better get that back to Rose before anyone else claps eyes on it, you may not want to see it but there are plenty of Witch Tits buyers who would pay a pretty penny to see it!" James chuckled as he threw the vial towards his friend. Looking at it once Sal shook his head and put it into his pocket deciding he would return it to Rose at work the next day. "And talk to her about it too, you never know!" James added feeling a little excitement again, it would be good for both of them to be with a decent person after what they had been through.

"Yeah," he replied but James did not notice the unconvinced tone in his voice.

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Taking a deep breath Salamander knocked on the office door which read Rose Weasley, Muggle Office, "Come in," called a sweet but frazzled sounding voice from the other side. He opened the door slowly and walked inside to see Rose with her head bent over a pile of papers, she was surrounded by vases full of flowers, piles of stuffed teddies and a multitude of soft embroidered cushions. Also hovering above her were paper doves and cherubs shooting messages across the room which she seemed to be casually setting on fire with a flick of her wand.

"Rose," he ventured and her head shot up.

She felt her stomach flip as she looked at his deep dark eyes and she had to look away before she blushed obviously, it was the first time since the party that she had seen Sal and the memory of seeing him touch her body was still at the forefront of her mind, "Salamander," she replied quietly while shooting another message emerging from the end of a cherubs arrow.

"What's all this?" he asked gesturing to the overcrowded room.

"Chris," she sighed looking fed up.

"Is he still hassling you?"

She nodded her head and he inspected the contents of the room again, "Ever since I came back to work he's been turning up in the elevator every morning and evening to talk to me and when I started getting here late or leaving late he started sending me all this crap," she gestured at the floating messages and other love tokens. "I keep ignoring it but he won't let up, expects me to be his bit on the side and feel good about it because I'm young and should be having fun not getting myself tied down to someone. Why is it that the only person ever to have been into me as much as I was into him is married and can't commit? I swear I'm fated!"

"Don't say that Rose," Sal said softly relishing the fact that they had not seemed uncomfortable around each other yet and perhaps they would be able to go on as good friends even though the more he looked at her now the more he realised that he was developing feelings for the pretty red head.

"Well I don't see anyone else around here that's into me do you?" she barked.

Maybe me, he thought to himself but he dashed it away and decided to tell her what he had come to say. "Er...Rose," he began and she looked up at him sensing that she might not like what he had to say, "James knows about New Year's Eve," he hated to have to bring it up now that they seemed more casual around each other again and he knew immediately from her stiff reaction that she had not wanted it bringing up either. "I didn't tell him," he blurted wanting to make it clear that he would not betray her like that, "he found a...memory in his Dad's pensieve," he finished looking shyly away.

"Oh god," Rose shrieked, "I thought...I thought it would go away after I'd watched it," she said blushing furiously again knowing that Sal now knew she had watched what they did on New Year's Eve, what would he think of her? That she liked to watch herself having sex?

"You can only get rid of them by putting them back in your head or destroying them," he said. "James didn't watch...much, he said, but he corked it for you," he concluded taking the vial from his cloak pocket and holding it out for Rose to take.

"Did you...?" she gestured at the bottle containing swirling fog.

"No," he said adamantly shaking his head, "No I...it's your...memory I...I didn't want to...intrude."

"Th...th...thank you," Rose replied looking down and picking up the bottle. "I suppose I'd better get rid of it," she whispered as she uncorked the top and pointed her wand at it. Sal assumed she was going to extract it and put it back in her head but instead she muttered, "destructo," and the swirling fog exploded quietly and dispersed. He had been right, Rose wanted to forget about it and had obviously just been curious to see how it had happened, perhaps she had not seen all of it anyway James did not know how far the memory had gone. "Well at least no one else will know."

"So we just...forget it now?" Sal asked somewhat forlornly. Rose nodded back at him and tried to smile at but it came out as more of a grimace and Sal could tell she felt stressed. "Rose are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just...I need to leave on time tonight because Dominique's coming over at half past five and I know he'll be waiting in the lift for me," she sighed.

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"It won't do any good, he knows we're not...together," she whispered slyly, "I've just had a hectic day here combined with this lot," she indicated the shooting cherubs again and blasted another message before Sal could read what it actually said, "I just want to get home without any more hassle."

"Well let me help you," Sal offered.

"How?" she asked still using a defeated voice.

"Well I'll come out with you, walk you to the floo...if you want, at least it'll get you there tonight even if he doesn't believe we're a couple all the time."

"Really?" Rose asked feeling her stomach flip again, "That would be...thanks."

"Come on then," he said as she packed a few things into her bag and grabbed her cloak from a hook on the wall. When she reached the door he opened it for her and they stepped out together before beginning to walk down the long corridor towards the elevators. As they approached Salamander saw Chris loitering near the grille and without thinking about it he grabbed hold of Rose's hand and took it in his own, Rose felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body at his touch and she felt her cheeks grow hot again but she let it happen and walked purposefully towards Chris who had just noticed what was going on.

"Rose?" he said as they reached the elevator, "What are you doing with...him?"

"We're going home," Salamander returned gripping her hand tighter and feeling a light flip in his stomach as he did so.

"Come on Rose, I know you're not going out with this dork," he goaded as the elevator reached them and the grille slid back. Sal and Rose stepped in still hand in hand and Chris jumped in behind them, "get rid of him and come home with me," he whispered in her ear but she refused to acknowledge him.

"Why don't you just leave her alone?" Salamander shouted back at him as the lift came to a stop at the atrium floor.

"What's it got to do with you?" Chris sneered.

"A lot when you're upsetting someone I care about," he replied walking swiftly towards the floos still holding on tight to Rose's hand, she was completely bewildered by the way he was standing up for her and realised she was enjoying simply holding his hand.

"Showering someone with gifts and flowers is upsetting is it?" Chris spat as Sal held Rose's hand up in the direction of the nearest fireplace, "Rose come on," he implored looking pleadingly at her but Sal gestured for her to go and let her hand drop before rounding on the man causing her so much misery, Rose just heard Chris call her name again as she whirled out of view and back to her own home. "She's never going to go out with you, you know," the now angry man shouted at Sal who turned on him angrily.

"And how do you know?" he spat venomously, he had seen immediately how this man's behaviour was affecting Rose and wanted to stand up for her like a man should for the pretty young Weasley.

"Because you're not her type," he laughed, "too dorky, Rose wants a real man, one who'll-"

"Sleep with her and then go back to his wife?" Sal interrupted feeling his blood begin to boil, "Hound her and beg her to be nothing more to him than a whore?"

"She'll have everything she ever wanted from me. I'll shower her with whatever she wants and she can still live a carefree single life coming to me for what I can give her best, a good night in bed!"

"Everything except the one thing she really wants, someone who will love her and commit to her and do anything for her."

"I can do enough for her in bed!" he chuckled and Sal had to hold back his fists, "Best of both worlds, be young free and single but satisfied when she needs it!"

"Best of both worlds for who? You who has a family and a wife to feed him and look after him and a quick shag when you feel like it, Rose needs more than that, she's worth more than that."

"No she's not mate, she's a fireball and bed but that's about all she's good for!" His restraint went out of the window at his words and before he knew what had happened Salamander had punched the despicable man in the face. Reeling in shock Chris fell to the floor clutching his bleeding nose.

"Don't speak about her like that," Sal growled slowly, "Rose Weasley is a beautiful and intelligent girl who has everything to offer the right man."

"Jealous much?" Chris said through gritted teeth, "She's never going to shag a man like you!" he laughed and Salamander found himself becoming angrier by the second.

"Oh yeah? Then how come she already has?" he blurted and the moment it had passed his lips he knew he had made a mistake, that was Rose's private business and the last thing she needed was for him to share it with the bloke who would not leave her alone.

"She wouldn't!"

"She did," he coughed desperately searching for a way out of this situation now, "so just leave her alone you creep, have you not got the message? She's not interested in you so get out of her face and quit sending her teddies and love notes, go back to your wife and leave decent people alone!" he shouted before turning on the spot and apparating away before he could make the situation any worse, though he thought to himself when he appeared seconds later in his flat, there wasn't really any way to do that.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you to my reviewer! This is only a shorty really so am putting up two chapters today, would REALLY appreciate more reviews!!!**

Chapter 6

As she rapped on the door heavily Rose could feel her temperature rising, she was absolutely fuming and needed to give Salamander Longbottom a piece of her mind. How dare he tell anyone that they had slept together? Least of all Chris, who had cornered her the next morning demanding to know if it was true. They had agreed to forget about it, that was what he had said to her in the office when she had destroyed the memory, he obviously didn't want it to go any further so why had he blurted it out in front of an atrium full of people after knocking her ex to the floor? "Hello?" she screamed while still pounding on the door. She had left work on time and apparated from the atrium straight to her cousin and Salamander's shared flat, "Sal, James is anyone there?"

"What?" shouted a sleepy voice from the other side of the door as it was slowly unlocked, "What the hell is going on?" James asked sleepily after wrenching it open and looking at his cousin who was stood with her hands on her hips looking very like her mother did when she was angry.

He rubbed his eyes sleepily as she bustled past him shouting, "Where's Sal?" He had been on a night shift for the auror office keeping watch over a well known dark wizard's house. It was the first time he had been out on assignment since his botched mission three months before and he had been on alert all night making him extremely tired when he crawled into the flat at lunchtime.

"He's gone to his Mum and Dad's for dinner, why?" he asked yawning and stretching, "What do you want him for?" he went on raising one eyebrow when he remembered what he knew about New Year's Eve, "Come back for more!" he chuckled and knew immediately that it had been a mistake. In her anger Rose launched herself at James and began to hit him around the head and shoulders with her hands. "Whoa, Rose calm down, I'm sorry, what's going on?"

Huffing loudly she took a step back and sat down on the sofa behind her, "Sal is what's wrong."

"What did he do?" James asked sitting in a chair opposite her and looking with concern at his flustered cousin.

"He told Chris that we...about New Year's," she said shyly looking away form her cousin's gaze. "Bragging about it after he'd clearly decide we should forget it ever happened.

"Sal did?"

"Yes."

"But why would he do that?"

"I don't know do I? He walked me to the elevator to get me away form Chris and then when I'd gone he told him what had happened not five minutes after saying we should forget it."

"Sal said you should forget it?" James asked.

"Yes," she growled in exasperation, why was he focusing on that? She was mad that he had bragged about it to Chris. "He came to give that memory back and I destroyed it, then he said we should forget it ever happened and five minutes later he told Chris, am I not saying it right?"

"Yes I understand you it's just..."

"What?" she yelled.

"You destroyed the memory?"

"Yes," Rose barked, James was starting to irritate her now and she wanted to seethe some more alone at home.

"And he didn't talk to you first?"

"He told me you'd found the memory and that it needed to be put back or destroyed so I destroyed it, then he said let's forget about it then."

"Well he would if you'd destroyed it."

"What are you on about James?"

"He didn't say anything else about what had happened on New Year's Eve?"

"No," she screamed, "why?"

"He was going to talk to you about it."

"He did, like I said he talked about forgetting it."

"Well he would if you destroyed it, he probably thought that's what you wanted to do, forget it."

"Did he...did he not want to forget it?" she said suddenly calming down a little and starting to realise what James was saying.

"I don't know, I asked him how he felt about you."

"And..?" Rose asked curiously. Until that morning when Chris had confronted her in the lift at work and asked, in front of nine or ten other people including the biggest gossip in the whole ministry, if she had slept with Salamander Longbottom she had been thinking about him almost non stop. When he had taken her hand and stood up for her as they left her office she had felt every part of her body explode with excitement and had not been able to stop wishing they could have held hands for longer. She had arrived home and spent most of the night, once Dominique had gone, replaying the image of her and Sal exploring and pleasuring one another and regretted destroying the memory as she felt like watching it again. However she had woken realising that Sal wanted to forget it had ever happened and when she heard he had told Chris she had become furious, it was alright to tell her to forget it but then he could go around adding her as a notch on the bedpost? She was not going to have it and most of her day had been spent arguing with the man in her head. She had turned up ready to give him a piece of her mind but now that James was making sense she was starting to think that he might not have been bragging but maybe standing up for her and showing that he really did not want to forget that they had shared a night of passion.

"He said that he'd never looked at you that way before but that ever since you'd left on New Year's Day he hadn't thought about Gloria at all, he also said he had felt relieved not to be with her because he was glad that what ever happened, had happened. I think he likes you Rose but if you destroyed that memory he probably thought that you wanted to forget it so he was being noble and agreeing with you to save face and your friendship."

"Oh," she said.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to forget it?"

"I...I don't know...I don't think so. I…I felt the same, I've never thought of Sal as anything other than a friend before but ever since I watched that memory I...I keep...you know." She felt embarrassed talking to her male cousin about this and suddenly realised that James knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I get it," he said not wanting to go through the embarrassment either. "You should talk to him Rose, he obviously feels the same as you do."

"Maybe," she replied feeling a little shy, what if James was wrong, had he actually said he did like her or had James heard that because it was what he wanted to hear? Just because he had stopped thinking about Gloria did not mean he had started thinking about her. "I...I should go," she said deciding that she needed a bit of space to think.

"Will you be at the Cauldron on Friday night?" James asked as she stood up and headed to the fireplace.

"I...what...? I don't know...maybe."

"We'll be there!" he said raising an eyebrow but Rose ignored him and climbed into the fireplace where she whirled out of view in a fog of green and arrived in her own home seconds later feeling confused but also slightly hopeful that her love life might just be about to pick up in an unexpected way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Our Rose and Salamander Longbottom?" Dominique shrieked from the kitchen table.

"Shh, don't tell everyone!" James replied laughing at her obvious shock, "It's not that strange is it?"

"No, it's just…I never pictured them together."

"Well they're not together...yet!" James explained with a twinkle in his eye, "They're going to need a little...nudge I think and that's where you come in!"

"But how do you know it's what they want I mean they've never seemed the slightest bit interested in one another what's suddenly made you think that they will want...nudging together?"

"Because they slept together!"

"They what?" she bellowed causing her Grandmother, who was cooking the usual Thursday Weasley family feast, to turn and look at her in shock.

"Keep it down," James said smiling at Molly Weasley before whispering to his louder cousin, "on New Year's Eve, they were a bit wasted as we all knew and that was the main catalyst but now that it has happened they both seem to be..._thinking_ about the other one in a different way."

"And they've both told you this have they?"

"Well not in so many words, no but-"

"So we may well stick our noses in and get burned when it's all a load of codswallop then?"

"Dom, trust me, I've seen them both and they don't need to say it out loud I can tell!"

"Oh Yee who has suddenly become the love expert just because he finally got caught by a woman!" Dominique giggled still feeling a bit wary of James' plan.

"Shut it Dom, I'm serious! Sal said that since he woke up on New Year's Day he hasn't even cared about what Gloria did and the other day Rose came round to see Sal and when I told her that, she became all...all," he tried to find the right word to show his cousin that he thought he was right about the two of them, "…thoughtful!"

"Thoughtful?" she replied looking at James strangely.

"Well like...I don't know but when she came round she was angry with him about something and after I'd told her that, she calmed down immediately."

"So that means they want to be with each other? I'd stop playing detective if I were you James, you were better as a heartbreaker!"

"Look what harm will it do to get them on their own for bit? If I'm wrong and it doesn't work then what have we lost?"

"Nothing I suppose!" Dominique agreed and she had to admit that thinking about it Sal and Rose would probably make a good couple, he wanted to do nothing more for a woman than worship the ground she walked on as he had done with Gloria and all Rose wanted was someone who would love her. At least Sal already knew her so hopefully he would see past her desperate ways to cling onto a man which usually sent them running. "Alright," she nodded, "but if it all goes wrong you're taking the blame!"

"Fine, fine, but I'm telling you they might be giving a toast out to Rose's too wonderful cousins at their wedding you know!"

"Just slow down mate, we don't even know if they like each other really, I think a wedding is a little too ambitious!"

"Whatever," James replied adamant that this was a relationship that was destined to happen and stay permanent.

"What do you want me to do?" Dominique asked quietly so no one could overhear, more of the family were arriving in the kitchen and it was becoming harder to keep their conversation out of earshot.

"Just tell her to meet you at half seven in the Cauldron tomorrow and I'll tell Sal the same then we just turn up late!"

"Master plan!" Dom said sarcastically.

"Do you have any other ideas? At least it's accidental," he chuckled making air quotes when he said accidental. "They are bound to talk to each other while they are waiting for us and hopefully one of them might actually say something to the other!"

"I suppose," she replied still not completely convinced that it was going to work at all but if she didn't agree James would just hassle her all night and it was worth a shot at least.

"Great, we'll floo in around eightish and hopefully they'll be having a good old time."

"And I'll have to spend the rest of the evening with you instead of Rose, what fun!" she joked standing up and heading over to the table where the rest of the family were beginning to sit down ready to start another delicious feast prepared by Molly Weasley.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Rose_

_I'll meet you at the bar tonight, got to hang around at work for a bit so I'll floo straight there, get the butterbeers in!_

_Love Dom_

She folded the parchment back up and glanced at the clock which now said quarter to eight, it was strange for Dominique to be at work late, especially on a Friday but she simple shrugged and returned to her butterbeer as a whooshing sound in the grate signalled another person entering the bar for a Friday evening drink.

"Rose," said a familiar voice and she felt her heart leap a little when she realised it was Salamander.

"Hi," she whispered feeling suddenly shy and beginning to peel the label on her bottle to hide her nervousness.

"Rose, I'm glad you're here I was hoping to see you," he said and her heart lifted again.

"Oh," she returned without looking at him.

"Yes I wanted to tell you that I am so sorry about what I said to Chris," he began, "it was your private business and I had no right to tell him, especially when there were other people around. I know we had agreed to forget it but he was saying terrible things about you and going on that I would never be able to..." he coughed uncomfortably and let her mind work out the rest, "anyway it was out before my brain engaged and I'm just...sorry."

"Don't...don't worry about it," she said finally finding some strength to look at his face and feeling herself blush immediately as the image of his hands on her body came un-beckoned into her mind again. "Actually you did me a favour, something must have got through to Chris because since I confirmed that we had..." she looked away shyly again, "…well he's sort of left me alone."

"Oh well...well I'm glad about that at least. I was worried though because James said you were...a bit angry, which I fully understand and I just hope...I just hope we can forget it and go back to how things were, it's all been a stupid mistake hasn't it and we should just forget it all."

"Oh," she said feeling her heart fall to her stomach, it was not quite what she had wanted to hear after James had made out that Sal had not seen the whole thing as a mistake after all. However if that was what he wanted then she was not going to be stupid and try to cling onto something that wasn't there, she had made it her New Year's resolution not to act so desperate around men in the hopes that she would not suffer any more disasters in her love life, "yes, right, forgotten."

"So, how come you're here alone?" Sal asked changing the subject quickly before they could become awkward again.

"I'm waiting for Dom, she said she'd meet me here at half past but she must be running a bit late," she explained glancing at the clock which now read five to eight.

"Looks like James is too," Sal added, "he was supposed to meet me at half past and I thought I was running late, mind you he's been on nights at the Ministry this week, surveillance work with a recon team. It's the first time he's been back on active duty since that mission last October so he's probably still in bed! Can I buy you a drink while we're waiting?" he asked, "Better stay away from the firewhiskey though," he chuckled and Rose found herself blushing again.

"Just a butterbeer please," she said quietly. "Thanks," she added as he passed her a bottle and then gestured towards a table in the corner of the room.

"Shall we?" he asked holding out his arm for her to hold and she took it feeling another little jump inside. They had only been sat a few moments when a shadow passed over the table and they both looked up at the sound of Sal's name.

"Salamander?" whispered a timid voice, "How...how are you?"

"Fine, thanks," he replied confidently as he looked at the girl who had broken his heart mere weeks before, "you?" he enquired reluctantly.

"So-so," she returned, "can we...can we talk? Alone?" she gestured at Rose who stood up from her seat.

"Rose, don't go," Sal said adamant that Gloria would not ruin his evening.

"It's okay, I promised Dom I'd get the butterbeers in and I'm sure she'll be here soon, I'll...I'll catch you later," she added grabbing her cloak from behind the chair and walking past Gloria without even smiling, she could see in Sal's face that her presence had affected him.

Just as she got back to the bar Dominique flooed into the Cauldron fireplace followed seconds later by her other cousin James, they both spotted her at the bar and looked at each other with a disappointed glare, what had happened? Then they both clocked Salamander sitting with Gloria at the back of the room and realised what had gone wrong. Approaching the bar together they bid hello to their cousin and took a seat on either side of her, "What's going on?" James asked indicating his now rather angry and ruffled looking flatmate.

"She wanted to talk to him."

"You've...you've not been talking to him then?" James asked as if he knew they would have been.

"Yes I have actually but why would you ask that?"

"Oh just...just because..." he looked imploringly at Dominique who shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'you got yourself into this one mate.' "Well...I...I ran into Dom in the...in the Ministry atrium and...and she said she was late meeting you and I said I was also late meeting Sal so we...we thought maybe you'd...well kept each other company."

"Well we did actually until Gloria showed up," Rose said still looking suspiciously at her older cousin, "but how come you were at the Ministry? I thought you'd been on nights?"

"Yeah..." he replied looking again at Dominique who was almost fit to burst with laughter, James was squirming under Rose's suspicious gaze and it reminded her of their childhoods when the two would constantly be bickering about something. "Well I called in to drop something off that's why I was running late, anyway we just thought that...anyway…are you having a drink?" he concluded turning to talk to Tom the barman while Rose looked at her other cousin who simply shrugged her shoulders to say, 'I don't know!'

A heated discussion suddenly caught their attention and all three members of the Weasley clan turned their heads in the direction of Sal and Gloria. He was stood up leaning across the table and they could tell that he was angry, Gloria appeared to be pleading with him and they watched as Sal slammed his hand down on the table and then walked away towards the toilets which were situated at the back of the pub.

"Why won't she just leave him alone?" James said discarding his freshly opened bottle of butterbeer and heading over to where his best friend's ex girlfriend was now sat dripping tears into her hands and feeling sorry for herself.

"I'll...I'll go and see if Sal's alright," Rose whispered jumping down from the barstool and heading over to the toilets where Sal had once rescued her from attention she didn't actually want. When she got there he was evidently still in the men's room so she waited outside for a few moments until he wrenched open the door and walked out looking extremely angry. "Sal, are you alright?" she asked taking him by surprise and causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Rose," he said shaking his head, "what? Well no, but I will be," he started to wring his hands where he stood looking at her unable to shift the furious glare in his very dark eyes, Rose had not noticed before but they were almost jet black and in his present state they made him seem very brooding and quite sexy. "She just makes me so...angry," he yelled hitting the wall next to him with his fist, "expecting me to take her back, 'it was just a silly mistake Sal, I'm so sorry Sal, I'll never do it again Sal, I love you, argh!" he screamed and Rose found herself taking a slight step back to give him some space. "Oh Rose I'm sorry," he uttered realising that his mood was causing her to feel a little uncomfortable, he let his hands fall by his sides and looked at her pretty face. Up until that moment he had not even thought about Gloria and what she had done to him since New Year's Eve and he was most annoyed that he had let her get to him when he had been thinking more about the pretty red head standing here asking him if he was alright. "I shouldn't have got angry in front of you," he went on taking hold of her hands compassionately but she could see he was still seething inside.

"Don't worry about it," she replied feeling her stomach flip at his touch, "I know what it feels like," she added tilting her head towards Gloria and remembering Chris' incessant hounding of her for the last three weeks. "I still think about him."

"Oh, yes," Sal went on.

"Scream and shout as much as you want, I did!" Rose joked knowing that he was still wound up about his ex.

"I just...I thought I'd forgotten about it, finally moved on," he said letting her hands go and beginning to pace up and down, "but when she sits there trying to act all innocent and weeping that she wants me back I just think why should I? After what she did why should I let her anywhere near me? I'll never be able to trust her again and I can't even look at her without feeling the fury rising within me. But what irks me the most is that I feel so mad!" He shouted and Rose just let him do it, she had been there herself and knew that sometimes you had to let it all out. "If I didn't still care about her then I wouldn't be so angry would I?"

"Well no," Rose said softly, "but it takes time," she went on, "to forget someone that you loved"

"But I haven't even thought about her at all since..." he drifted off and looked down at Rose, since the morning I woke up with you he thought and then without allowing his brain to engage and think about why he took hold of her arms and kissed her passionately on the lips venting some of his anger about Gloria but also some of his sudden deep desire for Rose. He felt her shock at his abruptness but then she seemed to relent to his kiss and return it for a moment before pulling away from him and looking through confused eyes at a panting Salamander. He gazed down at her look of confusion and realised what he had done, he had compacted matters again and made her feel like he was using her to get back at Gloria. Was that what he had been doing? Or had he really wanted to kiss Rose? She looked lost and he did not know what to say to her at all, "Oh god Rose, I'm so sorry...I'll...I should...I should go," he managed to babble before hurtling away from her towards the fireplace and flooing out of sight leaving a stunned and bewildered Rose in his wake.

She touched her lips where his had been moments before and stared ahead of her, he had kissed her and not because he was rescuing her and not because they were drunk but because...why? She had sensed somewhere that he had wanted to kiss her because it was her, but she had also felt his bubbling rage in the passion he displayed, had he only done it in response to Gloria or in response to her? But then, she mused, if he had wanted to kiss her wouldn't he have stayed and continued it? Why had he apologised and run away?

Her fingers were still grazing her lips as she replayed the moment again, it had certainly taken her by surprise and for a second she had not known what to do but as soon as she had realised how much she wanted it too she had returned it with equal vigour. However after a few more seconds she had needed to know why he'd done it which was why she had pulled away. Now that he had gone though she regretted doing that as they might still have been hidden away in the corner of the pub kissing once more where they had actually shared their first, more innocent kiss.

Staggering back to the bar Rose noticed a bemused looking Dominique waiting with a couple of butterbeers, James appeared to still be ranting at Gloria who had now stopped crying and was giving it back to him as fiercely as she was receiving it. "What happened?" her dark haired younger cousin asked when Rose took up an empty bar stool beside her.

"He...kissed...me," she said slowly touching her lips again and watching as Dominique's mouth grew wide.

"He kissed you?"

"Yes," she murmured her eyes sliding out of focus.

"So why did he run out?" Dominique asked curiously, "He didn't even stop to say goodbye, he just jumped into the fireplace and was gone."

"I don't know," Rose replied looking now at her cousin as if she might hold the answer to the question she was asking herself too.

"What actually happened?" Dom asked.

"He was angry, with Gloria, because she had been trying to get him to go back to her. At first he just ranted about how mad she made him because it must mean he still cared about her, which he must do, they were together for so long. So I told him that it was only natural, he had loved her for a long time and it wouldn't be easy to just forget that love. Then I reminded him that I had ranted and raved about Chris for a while too and I still thought about him, but then he said he hadn't thought about her at all since..."

"New Year," Dominique gasped and then flung her hand over her mouth.

"No he...wait a minute, why New Year? Why would you know that?" she asked turning to look at her raven haired Potter cousin who was now making his way back to the bar with an angry look to rival that of Salamander's when he had left the same table.

"I...er...James told me about New Year's, sorry."

"Great, who else has he told?" she shouted whirling back to face her again.

"Just me, I promise and I didn't tell anyone else. Actually he wanted to..." she looked sheepishly away as James joined them at the table.

"Can you keep my private life to yourself in future James?" Rose spat angrily putting her hands on her hips and looking once more like her mother. He took on a similar sheepish look and stared anywhere but at his cousin.

"Rose, he didn't do it to gossip honest, he wanted to...well," she looked over at her accomplice for help and he interjected for her.

"It wasn't a coincidence that we were both late tonight, we kind of schemed it so that you two might be able to talk to each other," he confessed guiltily.

"Why would you do that?" she asked curiously losing her angry tone.

"Well James here," Dominique explained, "thinks that you two like each other."

"Well you do, don't you?" he asked looking at the bushy haired girl who was feeling more and more bemused every second.

"We...what? I don't...I don't know...do we?"

"Well we can't answer the question for you but I know that Sal keeps thinking about you, he has done ever since..." he drifted off knowing she would fill in the blanks.

"Did he say that to you?" Rose asked her heart lifting a little.

"Well not in so many words," James confessed, "he said he hasn't thought about Gloria since then and that he had never thought of you in that way before so now he...he must..." he paused as he realised that in this explanation it didn't exactly seem that he did positively like Rose. "But he does, I could tell when he talked about you."

"So why did he just kiss her back there and then run off without any explanation?" Dominique asked.

"He kissed you?" James blustered and Rose nodded at her cousin, "Well that proves it then."

"Come off it James, how many women have you kissed who you didn't have any actual feelings for apart from that they might be a good shag?"

"Yeah but that was me, Sal's different, he's deeper that I am...er was," he added knowing that he was completely different in the most part to the man he had been prior to meeting Annemarie. "Anyway Salamander wouldn't kiss her without a reason."

"He kissed me back there on New Year's Eve and it wasn't because he liked me," Rose told them.

"Yeah but that was because he was rescuing you from that dick you'd been dating, he told me about it. This, this is different I know it Rose."

"You have psychic intuition about your friend's feelings do you James?" Dominique goaded.

"No, but I know with Sal!"

"So why did he run away then?" Dominique quizzed.

"What actually happened Rose?" he asked turning back to the still confused looking girl at the bar.

Sighing deeply at having to explain again she began softly, "He was angry because he said he must still love her and that made him mad and I said it was only natural as they had been together a long time, then he went on saying something about not having thought about her since…but he never finished, he just leaned over and kissed me."

"Since New Year," James said in triumph.

"I think we've gathered that now James thank you but that doesn't explain why he left. Are you sure he didn't say anything else?" Dominique asked turning back to Rose.

"No, he just apologised and ran."

"Maybe he thinks that you thought it was a rebound kiss or something because he was angry at Gloria," James suggested.

"Did it feel like that Rose?" Dominique asked.

"How the hell can you feel in a kiss if it was on the rebound or not Dom?" James asked sarcastically.

"Trust me, women can tell!" she retorted pulling a face at James before turning back to her other cousin, "Rose?"

"No, I don't think it did, I could tell he was angry and part of it may have been about that but it also felt like he wanted to kiss me," she whispered blushing bright red, "I pulled away because I was confused and that's when he ran so I don't know, maybe it was to get at Gloria, although she couldn't exactly see us."

"You can get all that from a kiss?" James asked with a bemused expression.

"Yes, we can," Dominique stressed.

"I'm telling you Sal likes you," James said adamantly, "pure and simple…I'm sure," he added quietly.

"Yes James," the younger of the three cousins said stressing his name through gritted teeth, "we know what you think, but that doesn't make a difference if Rose doesn't actually like Sal."

"But she does!…Don't you?" he asked suddenly beginning to doubt his intuition a little.

"I...I think so," Rose confessed quietly, "I mean when he kissed me I wanted him to do it and...and I didn't want it to stop," she looked away shyly then aware that one of her companions was male and a family member and she was not used to being this honest about men and her feelings in front of him. "And...well I...I've been thinking about him too, ever since you said..." she looked up at the older cousin who nodded his head.

"See!" he shouted triumphantly, "They do like each other, both of them."

"So why did he run?" Dom barked exasperatedly.

"I told you," James replied loudly in infuriation, "Because he thinks that she'll be thinking he only did it to make Gloria mad! Look Rose you should go and talk to him, he's probably just gone back to the flat."

"Not now," she whispered.

"Why not?"

"I don't know, I..."

"Come on Rose, strike while the iron's hot!" James chuckled dragging her from her stool and guiding her towards the fireplace, "you could be happy again by the end of the night!" But when they reached the flat they found it empty and after trying Sal's parent's house and where he worked they gave up and went back to drink with Dominique in the Leaky Cauldron. James didn't try to force the subject again but the more she thought about it the more Rose convinced herself that really there was nothing in the kiss at all, why else would he have run away? She had responded to it and showed that she welcomed it but he had obviously deemed it a mistake like their sleeping together and by the time her head hit the pillow she had decided to forget about anything happening with Salamander Longbottom, there had been too many occasions where mistakes had occurred and she had obviously just mis-read all the signals again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was almost a week later before James tried to talk her around again, the usual Thursday evening family supper at the Burrow had been moved to Saturday lunchtime as it was Arthur and Molly's wedding anniversary and the Weasley wives along with Ginny had insisted that Molly sit back and relax while they prepared the feast. James had only been able to show his face for an hour as he was working and did not want to give up the opportunity to go back out into the field but after having a drink with Uncle Charlie and his brothers and stuffing a sandwich hastily down his throat he had managed to corner Rose. "No, James," she stressed in hushed tones at the end of the garden, "I've thought about it and you're wrong, he ran out on me and that is that. It's fine, I'm fine, nothing ever started and that's the way it will stay."

"But Rose," he had pleaded but she had glared him down and walked away without a backward glance and he had not had chance to hassle her again due to their Grandmother wanting to hug him and say how thin he was getting before pushing mountains of trifle and pudding onto his plate which she insisted he eat. Rose hid away upstairs until he had gone and tried to avoid Dominique too who was giving her equally knowing glares from across the room.

By three o clock most of the family had gone their separate ways and after helping to clean everything away Rose agreed to walk across the field to visit Luna and Neville with her mother, James had told her Sal was at work so there was no chance she would run into him at his parent's house and she thought it would be quite nice to see Consuella for an hour too. They bid goodbye to the family and trekked across the hard ground to the small house at the bottom of Xenophilius' garden where the Longbottom's lived. They knocked on the door and were greeted by Luna, "Oh Hermione, Rose how nice to see you," she blurted as if she had not been expecting them, even though Hermione had sent an owl to check that they would be in and Luna had returned it immediately to say yes. "Come in, come in, can I get you some warm elderberry tea?"

"That would be lovely Luna," her mother answered for them both as they took a seat in the haphazard living room which was filled to bursting with pictures of Salamander and Consuella, showing their lives in moving images. Rose felt her stomach do a little flip when she saw one of him taken recently which showed his deep dark eyes and masculine physique, the picture had been torn and Rose suspected it had been one of him and Gloria.

"Consuella tore that one," Neville explained as he came into the room and greeted them both warmly, he had seen where Rose's gaze had fallen and then he indicated a few more ripped pictures now containing just Salamander, "she went on a bit of a spree one day and well..." he gestured around the room.

"Where is she?" Rose asked.

"She's out shopping in Diagon Alley with some old school friends," Luna explained as she walked into the room carrying a tray with a paisley patterned teapot on it. The teapot was surrounded by five vibrantly patterned cups and saucers none of which matched and Rose had to suppress a giggle at Luna's bizarreness, sometimes she was amazed that Salamander had turned out quite normal. "Salamander's outside collecting some firewood," she went on and Rose's heart leapt into her mouth, "Ahh here he is now," she added at the sound of the front door opening.

"Mum, where do you want this lot?" he called from the hallway, "In the house or on the stockpile?"

"Wherever dear," she replied dreamily, "Come on into the sitting room, we have guests," she added waiting for him to open the door. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Hermione and Rose and seemed speechless for a moment.

"Hi," he managed to stutter.

"Why don't you two go off to the river?" Luna suggested looking from her son to the girl who was desperately trying to stop her cheeks from glowing red.

"Mum, we're not ten anymore you know," he said referring to the days when the children would be packed off to play by the river while the adults caught up with each other, "I'm sure Rose doesn't want to be out in the freezing January weather when she could be warm and cosy in front of the fire.

"Nonsense," Hermione shrieked, "a bit of bracing air might put a smile on her face, I can't remember the last time I saw one! You two could have a good catch up too without us oldies listening in, I heard you had quite a time New Year's Eve!"

"Mother!" Rose shrieked, who had told her and what had they said?

"Rose we all know you were drinking dear! Why else would you not come home? You didn't want me hassling you with a hangover in the morning did you?"

"She didn't come home?" Luna asked as if it was alien for children not to come home even though they no longer lived there. "Where did she go? What happened to you?"

"I'm sure it is no concern of yours Mother where she went, back to her own house I would imagine!" Salamander interjected for her, "perhaps we should go for a walk if this is the kind of teasing you are going to get," he went on, "if...if you care to?" he finished sounding a little nervous.

"Go on Rose, it'll be good for you, get some fresh air on those cheeks!"

"Yes mother," she replied not feeling the slightest bit amused by the outcome of their visit. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to be alone with Salamander but if the alternative was being quizzed about New Year's Eve the walk was definitely the lesser of two evils.

"Well stay warm won't you, Salamander be a gentleman and offer her your cloak," Luna beamed.

"I'll...I'll be fine, honestly," she said looking from Luna to Salamander as she pulled her own cloak tightly around her neck and headed to the front door.

"Well be careful it's slippery out there, make sure you look after her Salamander," Luna called as he closed the front door behind them both.

"Sorry about her," he said straight away as he gestured for her to walk ahead of him towards the river, "she doesn't know...anything," he coughed.

"No..." she coughed back at him, "Neither does Mum. So how come you're not at work? James thought you would be," she asked trying to change the subject hastily.

"We finished early today and I'd promised Mum I'd come and sort out some wood for her, but James knew that I told him I'd be down here till later," he explained as they treaded a path along the river bank.

"Oh, he did?" Rose uttered almost under her breath sensing that James knew before hand that her mother was going to come down here and ask her to come too. "He must have forgotten," she said through gritted teeth as they reached an open glade where the river meandered through the woods at the end of the garden. The Weasley, Potter and Longbottom children had all played around here when they were younger, swimming in the river in the summer and playing games on the open expanse of grass beside it. It was sheltered from the elements somewhat but had also been a perfect place for sunbathing when they had grown a little older and Rose smiled as she remembered happy days of laying here with her female cousins talking about boys while her male cousins rode their brooms and pelted them occasionally with water balloons from Uncle George and Uncle Ron's shop.

"Something made you happy," Salamander said when he saw the smile.

"I was just remembering the days we used to spend down here," she replied smiling again and Sal noticed how it made her face brighten and her eyes light up beautifully. He felt a sudden urge to kiss her again then but he restrained himself remembering what had happened in the Leaky Cauldron. "Life was so much easier back then, no worries, no hassles," she added.

"Has Chris been hassling you again?" he asked concernedly.

"No," she chuckled shaking her head, "I just meant life in general!"

"Rose I..." Salamander stuttered as they stopped next to the water's edge, "I'm sorry about what happened in...in the bar last week, I shouldn't have done that to you I...I'm sorry."

"Forget it," Rose replied looking down at her feet so he wouldn't catch the look of disappointment in her eyes, she had been right all along. "I have," she added shivering suddenly as a blast of icy wind swept past them.

"You are cold," Sal said noticing the shiver, "Here take my cloak," he went on untying it from his neck and walking towards her.

"Honestly I'm fine," she whispered, "I..." but she paused as he flung the cloak around her and caught her arm with his hand, she gasped and stopped talking as he looked at her in much the same way he had before they had kissed in the Cauldron the previous Friday. They both stood frozen to the spot and stared at each other for a few seconds as he tied the cloak around her neck and rubbed her arms vigorously to try and give her more warmth, when he stopped he didn't take them away and Rose found herself searching for something else to look at instead of his deep brooding eyes. "That's where Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry got together," she coughed indicating a very weather beaten love seat by the edge of the river a little further up from where they had stopped.

"How do you know that?" he replied still not taking his hands away from her arms.

"Lily told me once, it was at your parent's wedding apparently," she explained breathlessly, she could almost feel her heart beating where Salamander's hands were and she turned her head to look back at him, "Sal," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"Hmm?" he returned gazing into her brown eyes and feeling his heart leap, he did not want to move his hands from her arms and felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her again, she did not seem to be resisting his touch but he was afraid to lean down and place his lips against hers.

"When...when you kissed me," she asked quietly, "was it...was it because...because of Gloria?" she finished before looking down deathly afraid that the answer would be yes.

"A part of me," he whispered, and she deflated, "but…" he went on and her face tilted up to look in his sincere eyes, "not to make her jealous. To…to show her that there was someone better out there, someone more worthy," he looked shyly away at his words but he was determined to explain himself even though his heart was beating wildly against his chest as he began to feel that Rose may have wanted the kiss as mush as he did. "I hadn't thought about her since we...slept together but when I saw her she made me angry so I knew that I must still love her deep down and I was mad at myself for that. But then when I was talking to you and I remembered why I had stopped thinking about her I just wanted to...to..." but instead of finishing his words he leaned down and showed her by finally and crushingly placing his soft luscious lips onto hers and kissing her gently but with a passion which she gave into immediately. His hand moved up to hold her head and they deepened the kiss as Rose tugged his cloak around them both and locked her own hands around his back.

After a few moments they parted naturally and leaned their foreheads against each other as they breathed irregularly and smiled, "...kiss you," Sal concluded and they both giggled. "Was I wrong to do that?" he whispered moving his hands around her back and pulling her close to him.

"No," Rose replied breathlessly, "but if that is what you really wanted then why did you leave, last time?"

"Because of what you just asked me, if I had done it because of Gloria, which you did, we had agreed to forget New Year and there I was kissing you but I...I couldn't help myself. I saw everything in you that Gloria wasn't and everything that I wanted but I was so angry about her and I didn't want you to be a rebound girl and I certainly didn't want you to think that you were."

"Like James thought."

"James?" Sal asked quizzically, "What does he have to do with it?"

"He thinks that we like each other and on Friday he and Dom had arranged to meet us late in the hopes that we would get talking and admit how we were feeling."

"Oh!"

"He was also on at me today at the Burrow which is why, I'm guessing, he said you'd be at work. I'd told him that I wasn't going to pursue it because you must not be over Gloria."

"But I am, I swear, I didn't think I was at first but now I know."

"So I'm not...a rebound?"

"No," he hushed, "no Rose honestly. I realise now I wasn't angry because I still care about Gloria I was angry because she thought she could snap her fingers and have me back and...and stop me from being with someone else...with someone I was developing feelings for...with...you?" he asked hopefully. Instead of answering his question she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and placed her lips softly against his kissing him with the same degree of hope and passion that he had shown in his first kiss mere minutes before.

"Rose," called a voice from afar and they parted swiftly as she pulled a grimace, "I'm ready to go back to the Burrow if you are dear," her mother added and Salamander grinned at her.

No she thought to herself but being the dutiful daughter that she was she called, "Coming Mum," before turning to look apologetically at Sal who just smiled at her as he hugged her close.

"Tomorrow night," he whispered in her ear as he let her go.

"What about it?" she asked looking into his face curiously.

"James is on nights, come to the flat let me cook for you!" he suggested and she smiled in response.

"I'd love to," she whispered turning to see her mother waving from the top of the hill.

"Seven o clock?" he said quietly.

"Tomorrow at seven," she said breathlessly ruing her mother as she left without kissing him again and feeling unsure of whether she or he wanted the world to know there was something going on just yet.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

By half past six Rose was a complete bag of nerves and was pacing up and down the living room glancing at the clock every few seconds. She had been on a fair few first dates in her time and had always been nervous and apprehensive but this time she felt completely different, she was so excited and terrified all at the same time. Sal had been her friend for a long time and she had only just started to see him in another way, it scared her to think about what was going to happen, would it actually work out between them? And if it didn't what would happen to their friendship? On the other hand she wanted more than anything for it to work out as she had felt so relaxed around him once they cleared up the whole misunderstanding. She had decided that tonight would prove it once and for all, if they could survive a first date then perhaps a relationship could develop which at the moment was all Rose really wanted.

"Rose will you please calm down? And watching the clock is not going to make it go faster, or slower!" her best friend, Holly, said to her.

"I don't want it to go any slower. And are you sure I should go like this?" she asked indicating the cloak she was wearing.

"For the seventy seventh time Rose, yes! Look he's been in a long term relationship with Gloria for four years and let's face it she was never the 'exciting' type at school was she? She'd probably given up trying as she had him exactly where she wanted him. Go in like that and you'll blow him away girl, he'll fall for you on the spot and you can have him where ever you want him!" Holly had called round after lunch and Rose had been so nervous that she had been unable to keep it in any longer, when her friend had heard that she was going on a first date with Salamander, who Holly had had a crush on in school, she had started her usual first date advice. The two girls had been friends since their first year at Hogwarts and had supported each other through a lot, especially when it came to boys and Holly had immediately insisted that Rose show him the usual 'good time' that they tended to reserve for the third or fourth date.

"But why now?" Rose asked remembering that they usually held off for a few more days.

"Rose I told you, you already know each other well so you can get past all that boring, what do you do? Tell me about your family crap and go straight into the good stuff, I mean you've already tried the goods haven't you?"

"Hol!" Rose shrieked turning beetroot red.

"Well you have! You know that he's a good shag so it's time to really show him what you can do! He'll be gagging for it, especially as he can't actually remember what it was really like last time, you can give him a memory he'll never forget!"

"I suppose," Rose agreed blushing but still not completely convinced, maybe what she was wearing and what it would lead to was the thing that was making her even more nervous than she usually was.

"Look, go in there, show him the 'goods'!" Holly giggled raising her eyebrows, "And he's yours! And seeing as you'll be gone all night I'll just hang around here and keep the cat company!"

"She'll be out hunting all night!"

"Yeah but if she comes back she'll need a bit of company!"

"Holly, if it's that bad at home why don't you just move in here?" Rose asked her friend who spent more and more of her time at the house complaining about her mother.

"What and give up free washing, cooking and cleaning?"

"You're incorrigible Holly Weston!"

"Yeah but you love me, and you love it when I stay here too, anyway look it's almost seven, get your delicious booty over to Sal Longbottom's house and show him what he's been missing! I'll see you in the morning!" she added smiling slyly at her friend and curling up in a soft armchair with Rose's black and white cat purring on the arm.

"Okay," she said taking a deep breath and smiling one more time before she turned on the spot and apparated to the front door of her cousin James and Salamander Longbottom's bachelor pad. She took another deep breath before knocking on the door and waiting for it to open. She was worried about eating as she was unsure of whether she could keep anything in her stomach as it flipped up and down and as the door opened slowly she had to fight the urge to be sick on the spot from nervousness.

"Rose," Salamander said softly smiling at her and opening the door wide for her to walk in.

At the sound of her name her heart had jumped into her mouth and she felt that she was babbling as she replied, "Sal."

"Come in," he said nervously, "take a seat...dinner won't be long. Can I get you some wine?"

"Yes," she coughed, "please."

"Can I take your cloak?" Salamander asked a few minutes later as he returned to the room carrying two glasses of red wine.

"No...not just yet," she replied swallowing hard and taking the glass he offered.

"Oh, okay," Salamander returned quizzically, was she not intending to stay? "I just need to check on a few things in the kitchen, please make yourself...comfortable and I'll…I'll be back in a minute." He was nervous too and it made Rose feel a bit calmer, he had obviously thought ahead and realised that if they were alone in the flat at night then they would naturally progress to the bedroom. She downed the glass of wine to steady her nerves and decided that she needed to get on with what she had come to do, even if it meant doing it before they ate. Visions of Sal's pert bottom rising up and down above her as she groaned and stroked his back turned her on immediately and she wanted to get back to doing the same thing in the hopes it would help them both to relax. Removing her cloak she laid it on a chair beside her and waited for Sal to come back into the room.

After checking that nothing was burning Sal took a deep swig from his glass of wine and headed back to the living area, why was he so nervous about this? Was it because he had not dated for so long? Was it because it was with Rose? Or was he nervous about what might happen now they were alone in the house and James was working all night? He had only actually been with Gloria and Rose but as he had no recollection of sleeping with the latter he was feeling as nervous as if it was his first time with anyone. Turning back to the living room he gasped and stared at the slim and almost naked body of the red headed girl he was falling for, "Rose..." he managed to stutter as she walked towards him.

She was wearing long black thigh high boots over fishnet stockings which were fastened to black lacy suspenders. The boots had a high platform with a pencil thin stiletto heel and were made of patent PVC. A push up black lace bra contained her small but creamy breasts and they had slits in them which revealed her pert, erect nipples. A matching black thong was pulled tight between her buttocks and with her hair tied up revealing her pretty face Salamander was gob smacked, "What's the matter Sal?" Rose asked in a deep sultry voice, "Is there something wrong with my...clothes?" she added walking closer and leaning up to kiss his neck, simultaneously she grabbed his hand and pushed it against her thigh pulling it up towards the knickers which he now realised were also crotch less. He gasped when he felt her soft pubic hair and she began to bite his ear longingly, he allowed her to do it for a few seconds and then she began to whisper in his ear, "Tell me what you want you bad boy," in a seductive voice, but the moment he heard the words he realised what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to stop, this wasn't Rose Weasley and this was not what he wanted from her. "Tell me bad boy, tell me," she went on stroking his back with her hand and lifting his to touch the protruding nipple of her left breast, "What do you want me to do?"

"I...I want you to stop," he said softly taking his hand away from her breast.

"Oh," she said with a groan taking a step back and hurriedly grabbing her cloak from the chair beside her, "I...I thought that...I...Oh," she stuttered pulling the cloak around her tightly and taking another step away. "I thought with...with us being...being...alone that...er...never mind...I...I'm sorry I..." she headed towards the fireplace glowing bright red with embarrassment and desperate to get away from him, how could she have made the mistake?

"Rose," Sal said gently, "don't go," he begged as he saw he take a handful of floo powder and jump into the fire, "please."

"I...I'm sorry Sal I...I'll see you...later," she blurted before throwing the powder in the air and disappearing in a whirl of flames. Salamander sat down on the sofa feeling deflated, he had not wanted her to go he had just wanted her to be herself which the Rose who had just attempted to seduce him had not been. He sighed and walked into the kitchen to turn everything off, he had not meant to upset her and he was determined to try and salvage some of the evening if he could.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Salamander Longbottom, I ought to give you a piece of my mind," Holly shrieked as she opened the front door to Rose's house and saw him standing sheepishly on the other side of it. "Do you have any idea how nervous the poor girl was about tonight? She put so much effort into showing you a good time and you just rebuffed her like that, I thought you liked her?"

"I do," Sal implored, "I just...is she here?" he asked not wanting to explain himself to Holly as well as Rose.

"She won't want to see you!" the indignant girl spat.

"Holly, it's alright," Rose called from the sitting room, she had known it would be him and had managed to compose herself enough to explain to him that perhaps their relationship was not destined to be as there were so many false starts.

She looked at him sternly as she showed him to the living room where Rose was curled up on the sofa wrapped up in a soft dressing gown hugging a cup of tea made for her by Holly who had been shocked by her sudden return. After she had managed to coax out of her what had happened the loyal girl had been hell bent on giving Salamander a piece of her mind once she had cared for her broken hearted friend. "If you upset her again Salamander you'll have me to deal with," she barked when he had entered the room and stood beside the sofa looking down on Rose. "She put her whole heart out there for you tonight and you shattered her confidence in one fell swoop!"

"Holly, it's alright, you go on home, I'll be okay. I think we just need to get things straight." Rose said looking imploringly at her friend and begging her not to embarrass her any more than she had already been that evening.

"Fine, but just you remember Longbottom, you don't get away with it that easy when it comes to me!" Then after giving Rose a quick peck on the cheek and checking that she did not want her to wait upstairs she flooed out of the house and left the two of them alone again.

When she had departed Salamander took a tentative step towards the sofa and sat down, "Rose, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock your confidence I just-"

"Sal it's fine," she interrupted, "we kept trying but this was obviously not meant to be," she went on looking into his eyes.

"Oh..." he replied downheartedly.

"There've been so many mistakes and issues it's just clear that we weren't supposed to be together," she smiled at him, "we've been friends for so long and I really don't want to lose that. I thought that perhaps there was something there but there really wasn't was there?" She looked at him with a wry smile before continuing,"It's alright I'm not embarrassed by what happened now, I realised that it wasn't what you wanted really so I think it's best that we just forget it all and pretend it never happened, don't you agree?"

"Well...well if that's what...if that's what you want," he said unconvincingly but she didn't notice his tone at all.

"I think it's for the best," she replied.

"Oh," he returned sadly. "Okay then," he added although he wasn't completely sure that that was what she really wanted either, "I...I'll go then," he suggested and she nodded at him as he stood up to leave. He walked towards the fireplace and she stood up to see him off but when he reached it he turned to look at her, without any shoes she was much smaller than him and appeared tiny against his height, "But before I go," he said, "can I...?"

"What?" she asked with a delicate smile on her face.

"A goodbye kiss?" he asked and without waiting for a reply he leaned down and placed his lips against hers hoping and praying that he had not been wrong and that she didn't really want to end this before it began. For a second she did not return it but then her instinct and actual desire gave in and she responded by kissing him back and allowing him to pull her into his embrace so he could deepen the kiss as he crushed his lips into hers. She felt his tongue begin to probe her mouth and she accepted it, returning the gesture with her own while his arms held her tight and her hands rested against his chest. After a minute of standing there and kissing he pulled his head away but did not let her out of his arms, "Did you really mean that?" he asked, "Please tell me that you didn't mean any of it. There have been mistakes and false starts, but nothing which makes me want to stop exploring this...avenue."

"But at the flat you-"

"Because that wasn't you, not the real you, not the Rose that I'm...falling for," he whispered and she gasped slightly. "You were so...full on and...and hard. The Rose I've got to know, in fact the one I've known all my life is the beautiful, natural one standing before me now. I like _this_ Rose and I want to..." he coughed and continued in a shy whisper, "I want to sleep with this one. I mean don't get me wrong, the outfit was...stunning and I'm not averse to ...sexy underwear," he whispered shyly, "but I've only ever been with one other woman besides you and...well...I can't exactly remember being with you and I want...it...us to be special and real, not forced. You looked so uncomfortable and I don't want it to be like that."

"So if I told you I was still wearing most of it under this gown?" she questioned.

"Then I'd say, let me see," he giggled pretending to open her gown, "but I'd rather see the real you, for now!" he added raising one eyebrow at her. He was still holding her tightly and was afraid to let her go in case she wanted to leave again, "Please come back to the flat with me," he begged gently, "the dinner is still there and...I don't want this to be over before it's started, let's just try tonight again okay?"

"Okay," she nodded and he felt his heart leap into the air, "let me just go and get changed and I'll be back in a minute."

"I'll wait right here," he told her finally letting her go and watching as she walked to the living room door and opened it. "Oh and Rose," he called before she closed the door and her head shot around the side of it, "leave the stockings on!" he whispered shyly going bright red and she smiled before closing the door and bounding two at a time up the stairs.

Ten minutes later she reappeared and found Sal pacing up and down looking scared out of his wits, "Are you alright?" she asked concernedly as he whirled around. She had let her hair down and it fell in big bushy curls around her face, the heavy makeup that had covered her eyes was gone and instead she had simply applied mascara to tint her pale red eyelashes. She wore a simple black, knee length dress which wrapped across the front and tied at the waist in a small knot, Sal was glad to see that she still wore fishnet stockings and he followed the stems of her legs to the opened toed plain black stilettos which adorned her feet.

He smiled shyly and whispered, "Rose you look beautiful," while revelling in the natural beauty that she had. Her body was slim and she had small breasts and hips with a slight curve to her waist which was accentuated by the nip of the dress around her stomach. She had the usual pale skin which went with red hair but it was creamy and looked soft and inviting, a quality he had not seen when she was dressed so harshly before. He had liked the kinky look but not as much as this natural one and he suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to see the rest of her body again, "Shall...shall we go?" he asked shaking his head to pull himself out of his reverie and Rose nodded as she approached him. One by one they stepped into the fire and whirled out appearing seconds later in the living room of Salamander's flat.

Rose appeared after him and when she looked up he was stood beside the fireplace holding out his hand to help her out, "Thank you," she whispered and he nodded before leaning down again and kissing her passionately as he pulled her close once more.

"I wish I could remember what it was like," he whispered when they broke apart and she looked at him quizzically, "on New Year's Eve."

"Oh," she replied looking down as she remembered Salamander sliding his hands along her body and touching her intimately, "we could watch the memory," she suggested.

"But you destroyed it," he reminded her.

"I have the memory of watching it though," she explained blushing a little as she thought again of his bottom bouncing up and down, "or we could extract your memory," she said touching his cheek with her hands, he felt himself lean into her touch and he closed his eyes as he breathed deeply.

"We could just make a new one," he whispered still keeping his eyes closed but sliding his hands to Rose's waist and pulling her closer to him. He felt her hand move to her side and he opened his eyes to see her extracting her wand from inside the dress, he watched curiously as she pointed it to her head and began to withdraw a familiar looking fog like substance in a long string. "What are you doing?" he asked letting her go for a moment so she could twist the ribbon into a cocoon.

"Putting us back on an even keel," she explained spinning it rapidly into a ball and letting it hover in the air between them.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

However before she replied she pointed her wand at the swirling mass and whispered, "Destructo," then watched as it exploded quietly and disappeared. "Now we can make a new memory," she explained, "and neither of us know what happened in the old one!" she finished feeling quite strange realising that she had known what had happened to them only moments before and knowing she had been slightly embarrassed about remembering it but having no idea why.

"Oh," he whispered quietly as she took his hand in hers and tugged him gently in the direction of his own bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

She closed the door behind them as Sal allowed himself to be led by Rose and waited beside the door until she took him by the hand again and led him to his own bed where she sat down and beckoned for him to sit beside her. He couldn't take his eyes off her and was feeling strangely nervous about what they were going to do, it wasn't that he was inexperienced when it came to sex, he was just inexperienced with anyone other than Gloria. "Sal you're shaking," Rose giggled.

"I'm nervous," he replied huskily, "I've never been with anyone else...that I remember," he added looking down in embarrassment.

"I don't think you had any problems before," she whispered knowing there was something she had liked about the memory she had just removed from her head. Then she leaned forwards and began to kiss him tenderly on the lips making all of his worries fly out of the window, she felt so natural and right that his instincts took over and his hands fumbled to find the knot on her dress. When he had unfastened it she stood up and slid her arms from the sleeves as it fell in one swift movement around her ankles, she stepped out of it still wearing the stockings and suspenders and Sal found himself instantly aroused by her. He looked up and down her lithe body and marvelled at how creamy her skin did look, she had replaced the crotchless thong with a pair of simple black mesh pants which he could see through and a matching transparent bra held back her small breasts. As he continued to look at her he saw her shudder and blush so he reached out with his hands to pull her into a sitting position astride him.

Looking into his eyes she slowly unbuttoned the white shirt that he wore as he watched on feeling completely mesmerised by her, his hands rested on her petite waist until she slid the shirt over his shoulders and he moved them so she could pull it off. Then her hands wrapped around his bare back and she softly scraped her nails down it as he moaned and clasped her in his arms. Rose responded to his caress and she groaned softly as his lips moved away from her mouth and began to trail down her neck and along her shoulders before returning to her luscious lips. He felt completely at ease with her now and was excited by the prospect of sharing the ultimate pleasure with another more beautiful and exciting woman.

Rose could feel his desire for her poking through his trousers and between her legs and she smiled shyly as her hands slid down to unbutton them so his longing could be freed from its binding. His head followed her when she moved to stand up and slide the trousers and his underwear away leaving him completely naked before her and his eyes reopened to see what she was doing. However before she had a chance to remove her own remaining lingerie he stood up, lifted her into his arms and then laid her down on the bed where he climbed on beside her. Sliding one hand along her stockinged thigh and up her body he listened to her groan as his other hand reached round her back to release the clasp on her bra which she quickly shrugged away from her breasts. He gazed down at them before slowly lowering his head to kiss and caress one nipple with his tongue while his fingers gently tweaked the other one. Rose threw her head back on the pillow and groaned loudly as she felt herself grow hot and sticky between her legs, hastily removing her pants she gestured for him to move his body above hers but he held back and instead moved the fingers caressing her breast to the soft flesh between her legs. They slid up and down and she moved her body in pleasure, moaning softly as he slowly and sensually brought her to the heights of passion. He held her tight as she shuddered and relaxed and then kissed her shoulders and neck gently while she breathed in and out deeply for a few moments longer.

Her eyes were still closed when Salamander moved his body over hers and she lifted up her legs to show that she was ready and that she wanted him, she could feel him probing her again and she longed for him to be inside of her but he waited until she had opened her eyes and they looked at each other with passion and longing. "Rose, you are amazing," he whispered as he brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her fervently before slowly and gently pushing himself deep inside of her. They both moaned in relief and Sal slowly and gently began to move himself backwards and forwards building up speed as he listened to her cries beneath him. He tried to hold back as long as he could enjoying the feel of Rose and wanting to make this memory last as long as it could. However eventually he could wait no longer and with one last deep push and a long groan echoed by the soft, gentle girl below him he burst inside of her and held himself up on his fisted hands looking deep into her eyes as his body exploded with pleasure.

He stayed in that position brushing her hair from her face and looking down at her as her breathing regulated along with his and was amazed at how comfortable and natural it felt. This was the thing he had been most afraid of when realising that they had been friends for their whole lives, that sleeping together could be too weird, but it wasn't. After a minute or two he rolled away but kept his hands on her hips and turned her to face him before leaned over to kiss her softly once more. She sighed at his touch and returned the kiss lazily as she relaxed and trailed one hand along his side. They stared at each other without speaking for what felt like a blissful eternity, brown eyes blazing into deep grey ones as they softly caressed the others' body. "That's a memory I never want to forget," Salamander eventually whispered and Rose smiled back at him as his hand stroked a stray hair from her face, "this feels so...so comfortable and natural, I wish we could just stay here forever!"

Rose giggled at him and then frowned self consciously when a rumble from her stomach reminded them both that they had skipped dinner to start on dessert. Salamander chuckled at the noise and whispered "Wait here," as he up in the bed and starting to put his trousers back on.

"Where are you going?" she asked pretending to sound hurt about him leaving.

"To stop that noise," he laughed placing his hand on her stomach and smiling cheekily.

She swatted him on the arm and said, "I'll come with you," as she moved to get up.

"No," he said forcefully, "stay here, you're not getting out of my bed that quickly this time!" he chuckled so she laid back down.

"Yes sir!" she answered settling back against the pillows in a sitting position and watching him put his trousers on.

"I'll be back soon," he murmured through half open lips as he kissed her on the forehead and then disappeared out of the room.

When he had gone she gazed around the immaculately tidy bedroom, she was relieved to see that there was no trace that any other girl had ever shared his bed and she put the fact that someone had to the back of her mind. On a shelf on the opposite wall to the bed was a row of trophies for astronomy awards from school and a couple of plaques from the Ministry. Salamander was studying the skies there along with a group of centaurs who read the future in the stars and had discovered new stars that even muggles had not found yet. He was known as one of the top astronomers within the British Ministry and regularly travelled to other countries talking to the wizarding governments and giving talks in their schools. Salamander was regarded as a highly knowledgeable young man who was very high in his field for his age.

Continuing to glance around the room she saw a few moving pictures of his family hung on the pale blue walls and a painting by his mother of he and his sister when they were around eight and ten. She smiled when she saw it and remembered how close a family they were, unlike her and her own brother Hugo, Consuella and Salamander were like best friends as well as siblings and she highly respected that. She and Hugo loved each other as a brother and sister would but they had never been that close, she would still do anything for him and he for her but she had never thought of him as a friend like Sal did of Consuella.

She carefully got up from the bed and began to touch some of the objects on his dresser. There was a vial of cologne and a deodorant spray which she held to her nose to drink in his smell and next to them a heavy silver bracelet which she had never seen him wear at all. The only other item on the neat dresser was an old looking gold watch, it was battered and when she picked it up to inspect it closer she noticed that it no longer worked. Rose turned it over in her hand and ran a finger over a short inscription on the back which read, _To Frank, for_ _your coming of age, from Mum and Dad. _

"It was my grandfather's," said Salamander from the doorway making her jump and almost drop the item back on the dresser.

"Oh, you scared me," she replied, "I'm...I'm sorry for snooping," she added placing the watch back on the dresser where she had found it and turning to look at Sal who had just put a tray down on the drawers beside the bed.

"Don't worry about it," he replied walking over to her and reaching out for her hand which he tugged on gently until she was in his embrace again, "I don't have anything to hide!"

"It's very worn," she commented looking down on the object again but not picking it up this time.

"He would never take it off," Sal told her picking it up himself. "After he was placed into St Mungos," he continued, "it was the only thing he seemed to know about and whenever anyone tried to touch it he would go mad at them. Dad removed it when he died and kept it until I was seventeen then he gave it to me along with this one," he indicated the shiny gold one which he wore on his left wrist, the usual gift given to a wizard when he came of age at seventeen. "Come on let's eat," he said dropping it carefully back on the dresser and leading Rose back to the bed by placing a hand on her bare bottom and guiding her gently.

"Do you have a shirt I could wear?" she asked shyly as they got back to the bed, "While we eat?" she added looking hungrily at two bowls filled with steaming casserole.

He nodded and walked over to his drawers where he extracted a pristinely ironed black quidditch style shirt, "Try this," he said passing it over and she dragged it quickly over her head before accepting a bowl of meat, potatoes and vegetables from him.

They ate quickly using spoons and slurping gravy as they did so and when they had finished Salamander lifted a bowl which he had placed over a small plate to reveal two slices of chocolate cake which they ate wolfishly. He cleared the plates away swiftly when they had finished and returned to the bed where this time he found Rose fiddling with the stockings and suspenders which she still wore.

"Can I take these off now?" she asked shyly when she saw him come back in, "they might look good to you but they are so uncomfortable!"

"Allow me!" he chuckled pushing her gently backwards on the bed and slowly unclipping each strap until he could roll the stockings down one at a time and slip them over her feet.

"Have you done this before?" she asked noting his speed and accuracy as he then placed her legs together and gently pulled down the suspenders which he discarded neatly on a chair beside the bed with the rolled up stockings.

"No," he chuckled, "Gloria," he coughed at mentioning her name not sure if Rose wanted to be reminded that he had had a previous relationship but when he looked up at her face she was still smiling, "never did anything like...that."

"Well we'll have to do something about that then somewhere down the line!" Rose chuckled raising her eyebrows and making Sal relax as she had not responded to the mention of his ex girlfriend's name.

"I'm so glad we did this," he said reaching across the bed and pulling her closer to him.

"I bet you are!" Rose goaded and he swatted her arm.

"I don't mean that," he replied stressing the final word, "well I do mean that! But I meant us, this, I'm glad we didn't call it a day and stay as friends. I was so nervous all day today and could barely concentrate on anything! When you ran away I was so afraid that I had offended you and scared you off for good and then when you said that we should just forget it all I was gutted. But I just couldn't leave without being absolutely sure," he looked away then and added quietly, "I'm so glad you didn't mean it."

"So am I," she whispered lifting his head with one finger and gazing into his eyes, "I can hardly believe how easy and comfortable this feels," she went on stroking his chin and watching as his head leaned into her cupped hand, "and I'm glad you didn't take no for an answer!" she chuckled. He leaned his head forwards to search out her lips once more and they enjoyed another long and sensual kiss before Rose moved herself around the bed and laid her head on Salamander's stomach. She stared up at him, stroking the thin dark blonde hair on his chest and he placed one hand inside the shirt she wore on her thin waist. They talked about their families, their childhoods and their jobs until eventually the clock in the living room struck midnight. By this point they had curled up together Salamander behind her holding her close to him and stroking her soft skin with his fingers.

They were almost both asleep when the chimes sounded from the other room and Rose sighed heavily as she whispered, "I should go," but didn't make any attempt to move.

"Don't," he murmured in her ear as he gently kissed her neck.

"I have to be up for work in the morning," she groaned not wanting to leave the warm and comfortable position she was in.

"I'll wake you up," he went on, "I promise...stay here...I want to wake up to you."

"Hmmm," she sighed enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin and she allowed herself to drift off to sleep staying exactly where she really wanted to be.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sighing longingly Rose began to come round the next morning to the feel of gentle lips caressing her neck while soft fingers stroked back her hair, "Hmmm," she moaned without opening her eyes. She could still feel Salamander curled around her and could tell that he was aroused by the throbbing mass pushed against her leg. Opening one eye she saw that it was still dark outside and she rolled onto her back to face the man who was now breathing slightly irregularly.

"Morning," he whispered and she smiled.

"Morning, what time is it?"

"Only six," he went on in a quiet voice, "you should sleep a little longer, I didn't mean to wake you, I just couldn't resist kissing your neck," he breathed tracing circles on her naked body with the hand he had used to hold her all night long.

"It's okay," she replied quietly grinning at him again as she leaned up to search out his soft lips. They kissed for a moment and then stopped as they heard a door open in the living room, "What's that?"

"James," Salamander sighed, "back from his night shift, he hasn't quite mastered the art of stealth when it comes to getting into his own home!" She chuckled at Sal and listened as her cousin began to move around in the bedroom next door banging into things and making quite a racket. "You home then James?" Salamander eventually called through the wall and a few seconds later the bedroom door burst open revealing bright light which made Rose lift up her hand to shield her eyes.

"Sorry mate were you – oh!" he smirked cheekily when he spotted his cousin in the bed tugging the covers up around her chin, "Rose!"

"James," she replied coyly trying to suppress a giggle.

"Sorry mate," James coughed and smiled, "I thought maybe I woke you up but...anyway," he went on shaking his head, "I'm just back to get a few things and then I'm off to Annemarie's, they had her on shift with me so we thought we'd get some shut eye together at her place. So I'll be out of your hair in five and you can go back to...er...what ever it was you were...doing! Catch you later Cus!" he called as he closed the door behind him and Rose turned her body to roll into Salamander's chest.

"Sorry about that," he whispered enclosing her in his arms.

"What?" she asked lifting her head up to look at his face.

"Well I should have kept my mouth shut, I didn't know if you wanted anyone to know about us yet?"

"I don't care who knows!" she chuckled, "Unless you don't want to tell people?"

"Me?" he said jollily, "I want everyone to know that I've found an amazing girl at last!" and she smiled as he rolled her back into the sleeping position they had been in moments before and cradled her in his arm once more.

They heard James call out as he left and for a few moments continued to lay in the comfortable position they had adopted but after a few moments more Salamander sat up and moved himself on the bed. Rose rolled onto her front as he ever so slowly, starting at her ankles, began to kiss her body all the way up to her shoulders. She breathed deeply with every kiss and enjoyed the feel of his lips on her skin and his finger tips stroking her waist. When he had reached her shoulders and was almost laid above her she felt his hard member against her bottom again, he was not trying to push it on her in any way but she was turned on by his kiss and the feel of it against her body. Taking hold of his hand which was holding him up above her she gently tugged it under her body until he cupped her breast with it and he was positioned between her legs. Then using her feet she gently pushed against his bare bottom until he moved inside of her making her gasp loudly and he echoed her moan. Sal continued to move above her slowly and sensually at first but then building up in speed and passion until once more he exploded within her and groaned deeply while nibbling and kissing the soft skin on her shoulders.

They lay as one person for a few moments before Salamander shifted his weight from above Rose and she turned over to bury her face in his chest, "You should get some more sleep," he whispered but she shook her head and started to trace circles on his chest again.

"I don't want to," she replied quietly. So instead they lay caressing one another and talking about everything and nothing until light began to peek through the blinds and with weary groans they rose from the bed and began to dress.

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The next few weeks passed in blissful happiness for the new couple who spent almost every moment that they were not working in each others' company. After explaining the situation to Holly, who still couldn't quite get her head round Sal not liking the dominatrix Rose, she had agreed to go easy on her best friend's new man especially when she saw the smile which made her look as if she slept with a coat hanger in her mouth every night. James wasted little time in telling the rest of the family that they were seeing each other although he only told the cousins exactly where he had found Rose and Sal on that Monday morning. Everyone was delighted to see them together especially Luna and Hermione who positively beamed every time they were within three feet of the fresh young couple. Consuella had shown her happiness with her brother's new relationship by expressing how beautiful and much more fun Rose was compared to that horrible cow, Gloria and as she had been a close friend of Rose's all her life she gave them both a warning that she would not hesitate to punish either of them if they broke the others' heart.

They had spent each night together since that first Sunday either at Rose's house in Hogsmeade or at Salamander's flat staying up late or waking early in the morning and making love to each other. On one occasion Rose had taken the lead and sat astride Salamander to bring him to ultimate pleasure and he had run his hands over her small breasts while she raised herself up and down above him eventually squeezing them hard as he groaned in ecstasy. When she had finished kissing his body from head to toe and had laid down beside him he had whispered how amazing she was and she had looked at him curiously when he went on to say that he had never experienced sex like that before. "Gloria," he had said quietly hating to mention the name of the only other girl he had been with in front of his new girlfriend, "she never liked to...experiment...at all, which is probably another reason why I was not quite ready for your..." he had coughed uncomfortably, "...outfit the other week."

"Oh," she had whispered in surprise, "not at all?"

"No," he had continued shaking his head, "she was a..." he coughed again, "missionary girl through and through, managed to coax her on rare occasions into...taking her from behind," he had blushed furiously and Rose had smiled at his self consciousness . "I would often try to...initiate more...but that was about as far as it went. She never...dressed up or tried anything new at all so I gave up in the end."

"Really?" she had whispered softly.

"Really," he had nodded.

"Well I have a lot to teach you then," she had replied winking as she propped herself up on her arm to look into his eyes, "that was quite literally the tip of the iceberg!"

They had made love every night or morning since that first Sunday and Sal had always seemed quite confident in bed but thinking back Rose realised that they had only done the same things. He was good at kissing and touching her body with his fingers and caressing her nipples with his tongue but they had only had sex in a few positions and not once had he tried to make her do anything to his body other than hold him close. That night had been the first time he had let her initiate and control what they did and she realised that she had had to force him to lay still and let her. Rose had been quite sexually promiscuous since she had left school and had slept with various different men, most of whom were more interested in what she could do for them rather than what they could do for her. She had learned to please men and between them she and Holly had come up with the sexy outfits she had tried to use on Salamander on their first date. In the past she had always wanted to please the men she shagged to keep them interested and hopefully make them fall in love with her but she realised now that she wanted to do it for Salamander just to please him and not for any other reason. It made her feel completely different about sex and she realised that she might actually be developing her first real feelings of love for a man.

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Almost three weeks into the relationship Molly had insisted that Salamander join them at the weekly Thursday family feast at the Burrow and he had flooed in sheepishly behind Rose who's side he had barely left even though he knew the whole family as well as he knew her. James had teased them all night but Rose had stood confidently by Sal's side daring anyone with her eyes to challenge her new and wonderful relationship and by the end of the evening when they had side-along apparated back to her house everyone had realised how fiercely protective she was of him. They could all see that the relationship would go far as she was not trying too hard to keep him, he knew her well already and Dom and James had to agree that they were the best thing that had ever happened to each other.

Back at her cosy home while Sal was upstairs in the bathroom Rose lit hundreds of candles in the living room, around the fire, on the mantle and hearth and all along any free surfaces that she could find. Knowing that Sal was new to her usual ways she had decided to introduce her kinky clothes a little at a time and had worn the stockings he had liked before along with a black crotchless thong. When he returned to the room she was laid amid the glowing wax wearing a thin silk dressing gown which showed the fishnet stockings she knew he liked. "What's going on?" Sal whispered smiling shyly but showing her that he did not mind and she patted the sheepskin rug beside her and returned the beam. He followed her wordless command and found a space within the circle of candles and allowed Rose to gently kiss him on the lips while she tugged at the top he wore until she had freed it from his trousers and pulled it over his head. When he was shirtless she began to kiss his chest and lightly pushed him backwards until he was laid down with his head on a cushion positioning herself astride him once more.

She ruffled his hair and slowly untied the silk belt which held her dressing gown together letting it fall open to reveal the creamy skin which ran between her naked breasts, he reached out to touch it softly and she smiled widely at him. "What are you doing?" he asked smiling.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she whispered in reply smiling cheekily as she dropped the silk material down her arms and ran her fingers along his bare chest.

"Down here?" he asked curiously looking around at the living room.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well...i...it's the living room."

"So?" she asked noting his shyness, "Nobody else lives here and I've blocked the floo for the night," she whispered nodding her head towards the fireplace, "it's just me..." she touched her body and watched his eyes grow wide, "and you," she finished touching his lips with her fingertips.

Grinning shyly he lifted his hands to touch her naked breast and whispered, "But I've never...except for in a...bed..."

"Well then we need to change that," she said leaning down to whisper in his ear while unbuttoning the trousers which he still wore. Then slowly she moved her body down his own pulling his trousers down until he was exposed to her after which she slowly moved back up his body staring at his face with a playful look in her eyes which made him chuckle. When her head reached the now full and rigid part of his body she stopped and used her mouth to surprise him as he reached out in shock to touch her head she forced his hands down with her own and after a few more seconds she felt him relax and begin to moan at her soft caress. Within minutes she felt him shudder and heard him breath deeply as she felt a shooting, warm sensation in her mouth which she slowly drew away from him before using her wand to dispose of the load. Then she sat back and watched his face which showed complete relaxation with his eyes tight shut and his lips held between his teeth.

After a moment he opened his eyes to look at her wide grin which he mirrored as he reached out to pull her down into the crook of his arm. "Wow," he muttered and she giggled at him, "that...was...wow Rose."

"She was an exciting girl then Gloria?"

"Who?" he asked and she laughed raucously. "I'm not just saying this because of...that, but you are so amazing Rose you really are, I've never experienced anything like making love to you!"

"It's not over yet!" she chuckled as she rolled herself onto her back and guided him gently into a kneeling position between her legs, thrusting one breast up towards him she softly moved his head to it and he began to kiss it tenderly slowly circling the nipple with his tongue. After a few moments she gently guided his head down her body until he was positioned between her legs with his head staring at the crotchless thong which he carefully slid his fingers inside. "Kiss me," she whispered and he looked up at her face slowly starting to move his head up to her lips but she stopped him and added, "kiss me here," as she touched the place where his fingers still were.

Looking a little bit like a niffler in the path of a hippogriff he stared at her and she smiled, "I... I want to...but I..."

"Just kiss me," she whispered again softly and he moved his lips to the opening in the underwear she wore and gently began to kiss her intimately. She breathed deeply and groaned as she began to feel excited by his tongue which he started to rub up and down as he had done his fingers. Within moments she could feel the passion rising inside her and as she reached her height she cupped his head between her thighs and groaned loudly thrusting her own head back on the cushion and then holding his head against her stomach as he moved himself away from the now sensitive part of her body. Her breathing was ragged as he pulled away from her tight embrace and laid himself alongside her propped up on his elbow gazing down at the amazing young woman.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he whispered when her eyes opened and he softly stroked the skin between her breasts as she smiled.

"What you just did!" she replied and he laughed.

"Rose," he said coyly looking away from her eyes.

"Hmmm," she murmured.

"This may sound really corny but will you be my girlfriend?" he asked shyly.

"I thought I was," she replied.

"Officially I mean."

"Yes," she whispered dreamily moving to lay in the crook of his shoulder where he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight feeling the happiest he thought he had ever felt in his whole life. This beautiful woman was showing him experiences he had only ever dreamed about and he couldn't work out how he had got through his adult life without her.

"Rose," he whispered again, he could hear her breathing was becoming deeper as she succumbed to sleep.

"Hmmm," she returned sounding dazed.

"I think I'm falling in love with you," he muttered pulling her close but at his words she lifted her body away from him to look at his face which showed his sincerity and honesty.

"Really?" she replied, it was all she had ever wanted to hear from a man and usually within weeks of them being together, but it was something she knew she didn't need to hear from Sal if he wasn't ready. She had never felt so happy with anyone before and knew she could wait an eternity to hear him say those words, but the fact that he had said them made her heart leap and her eyes water as she replied, "I think I'm falling in love with you too." They held each other tightly then feeling as if they were the only two people in the whole world and as if they would be happy to remain that way forever.

They slept as they were, curled up in front of the fire amid a mass of dwindling candles happy, comfortable and warm beneath a blanket which Rose called with her wand from the sofa without saying a word to disrupt the wonderful state they were both revelling in.

The following morning they could do nothing but smile at each other as Sal dressed to go back to his flat and Rose showered and got ready for another day at work. They were spending the evening apart for the first time in almost three weeks as Rose was out with Holly and Dominique at the Leaky Cauldron and Sal was letting her have a girls night and staying away from the pub, much to her chagrin. She had assured him that the girls would not mind if he and James turned up but he had insisted she spend some time with them alone, though she was welcome to come over to the flat when the night was over and seek him out in bed, whatever time it was. Rose had eventually agreed and realised that it would be nice to catch up with her friends for a few hours and join Sal for a bit of midnight fun later. So at her fireplace they said goodbye with a lingering kiss and Sal promised to be waiting for her in his bed whenever she was ready to join him, then he flooed out of sight and Rose prepared herself for another day at work.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Butterbeer?" James offered as he walked into the living room and took a seat on the chair beside his flatmate.

"Cheers," Sal replied accepting the bottle and twisting the top open.

"So how's it going?" James asked, "No Rose tonight?"

"She's down at the Cauldron with Dominique and Holly catching up but she's flooing over when they've finished!"

"So it's going well then?" he chuckled in reply, "Seeing as you've barely been apart for three weeks!"

"Well, you know how it is," Sal smiled and James nodded as he thought back on the first three weeks of his relationship with Annemarie when he had hardly been able to function for thinking about her and they had barely been apart for the three months since then.

"I think I love her mate," Sal said quietly, "I mean I know it's only been a few weeks but I just can't get enough of her! I always thought I loved Gloria but these last few weeks with Rose have been the most amazing weeks of my life and I don't think I ever felt like this about Glors, even at the beginning. She's just so...so...different and loving." James looked at him curiously, "Well take last week for example, we went out to Madame Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade for a drink and she held onto my arm all the way there bustled up against the cold and while we were at the table she held onto my hand and it felt so warm and close. Gloria was never like that, she wouldn't hold your hand in public and was never very affectionate at all, she'd occasionally sit on my knee here at the flat but that was it. Even back in school when we first started going out and you'd be snogging yet another girl in the corner of the Griffindor common room," James chuckled to himself as he thought back on the fun days of school. "Well Gloria would never do that in public, it had to be in a deserted classroom or behind a tree near the lake, she was really prudish about things like that but Rose...Rose is so...open about it and it feels great!"

"You're good for her, and she's good for you," he added noting just how much happier his best friend had been in the last few weeks, more than he had ever seen him with Gloria. "She's totally different around you than she's ever been with men before."

"What do you mean?" Salamander asked quizzically.

"Well," James coughed, "Rose was always...well...desperate when it came to men."

"Desperate?"

"She always tried too hard to cling on to a man and ended up scaring them away before they got to know what she was really like but with you...well you already knew what each other was like so she...well I don't know, maybe she didn't try her usual things."

"Maybe not," Salamander smiled, nodding his head and thinking about the outfit she wore when she turned up at the flat. He realised then that that may have been her attempt but he had seen straight through it to the real Rose that he knew and wanted.

"So you think you love her then?" James asked.

"Mate, she blows me away!"

"Dude that's my cousin and I don't need to know."

"No," Sal shouted shaking his head, "I don't mean like that I mean...well actually like that too."

"Eww."

"Sorry but that's another thing that Gloria never...well she never did very much at all...but Rose...sorry I'll shut up!" he added chuckling at his uncomfortable friend.

"Thanks, well I'm glad for you mate but detail is not needed."

"I know, again I'm sorry but she's just amazing!"

"Well I'm happy for you Sal and for Rose too, it's about time you both found someone worthy! Another beer?" he asked as he stood up to get a second bottle for himself.

"Sure," Sal replied.

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They were onto their third drink in the Leaky Cauldron and both Holly and Dominique were intrigued by everything Rose had to tell them about her new relationship with Salamander Longbottom. Neither of them had seen their friend so happy before and were so pleased that she had finally found someone to be happy with, "You actually miss him now don't you?" Holly teased making Rose blush bright red.

"No," she lied, "I want to be here with you two!"

"Yeah but you still miss him don't you?"

"I suppose," she replied shyly.

"I think it's great," Holly smiled, "seriously Rose, you deserve it with all the creeps you've had to put up with so far."

"Thank you," Rose beamed back at them as they fell into fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?" spat a sarcastic voice from behind them, "Chuckling at how you're trying to stop me from getting my man?"

"What?" Dominique shrieked turning to face Gloria who was stood behind her cousin glaring menacingly at them all, "Your man? I think you're a bit wrong there, you gave up your man when you cheated on him!"

"A mistake, and just a little one, I'd have had him back by now if this little bitch hadn't wheedled her way in."

"How dare you?" Holly cried, "How dare you call her that? You had no claim over Salamander anymore and Rose did not wheedle her way in anywhere, you drove him away and he found someone better!"

"Better? That little whore better than me? She's a slag, she was a slag in school and she'll break his heart, that's if she doesn't scare him off with her desperation like she has every other man she's ever met!" Gloria shouted, "Salamander will see through her, he'll remember that he loves me really and realise that I made one tiny little mistake, eventually he'll come back to my bed."

"What so you can bore him to death with your regimented sex life?" Rose spat not wanting to hear any more. Gloria had given up her right to Salamander when she had slept with another man and even if she hadn't been with him now Rose knew that he would never go back to Gloria.

"What?" Gloria spat back, "How dare you? What do you know about my...my...sex life?"

"A lot more than you actually if you catch my drift!" Rose screamed back glaring menacingly at her.

"He...what has he...he been saying about me?"

"That you're a frigid prude who just lays back and thinks of England!"

"He never had any complaints when we were together," Gloria argued quietly.

"Because he didn't know what he was missing!" Rose laughed.

"How...how dare...how dare he talk about what we...we...he has no right to talk about me like that."

"You gave up any rights you had to keeping your sex life private when you were laid back thinking of England with someone else!"

"But...but that was...was private, how dare he say I wasn't any fun?"

"Look Gloria," Holly interjected standing with her hands on her hips beside her best friend, "you were a boring cow in school and you're a boring cow now, I think we could all work out that you'll be like a sack of potatoes in the bedroom. For Merlin's sake you would never even kiss Sal in public, how the hell you ever managed to bag him is beyond me when he could have had the pick of the school. So quit whining about how hard done to you are and let the guy be happy and fulfilled for a change!"

"You bitch," Gloria returned slapping Holly around the face.

"Ha," she laughed back holding her stinging face, "maybe if you'd shown some of that feistiness Sal might have thought about taking you back but it's too late he's moved on now and you need to do the same! You have no one to blame but yourself Gloria! So pass on by and find yourself another man to bore in the bedroom!"

"You'll be sorry," Gloria replied in a menacing tone, turning to look at Rose who was beaming at her best friend with admiration, "I'll get him back."

"Keep trying Glors," Dominique said, "you don't stand a chance!"

"We'll see," she replied looking knowingly at Rose, "we'll see."

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"Hey James," Rose said wearily as she stepped out of the fireplace at his flat.

"Hi," he replied looking at her concernedly, "is everything alright?"

"I don't know," she answered slowly sitting down on the edge of the sofa, "where's Sal?"

"In bed, went about half an hour ago. Are you okay Rose?"

"I think I did something really stupid."

"Like what?"

"We saw Gloria at the pub tonight and she was shouting her mouth off about getting Sal back and I sort of…said some stuff I maybe shouldn't have said."

"Like what?"

"Well Sal...Sal told me about their...their sex life, well not exactly about it just..."

"That it wasn't the best?!" James interjected for her.

"I was so stupid but she made me really mad saying she was going to get him back and that if I hadn't wheedled my way in then she'd have had him already!"

"Is the girl deluded?" James asked pulling a face, "She hasn't got a prayer! She wouldn't have even if you weren't going out with him but now that you are she won't even get a glance!" Rose began to blush a little at his comment, "Whoa Rose, you could fry eggs on those cheeks!" he teased.

"Shut it!"

"Well it's all true, he's crazy about you! And I don't think he'll care one jot that you've said anything to Gloria about their lack of...excitement! Especially now you've made up for it!"

"James!" she shrieked at him angrily, "What the hell has he said?"

"Nothing that will get him in trouble! Trust me, I didn't want to know! He just said that Glors had always been boring and unaffectionate in public but that you are the total opposite and you've shown him what he's been missing! Don't worry he wouldn't kiss and tell!" he explained softly, smiling at his cousin. "Rose you are so good together don't worry about Gloria he'd never go back to her now, you have him hook line and sinker!" She smiled wryly at him and he continued, "Go and tell him if you are that worried but I promise you he won't be mad!"

With one more thankful smile she stood up slowly and walked tentatively to Sal's bedroom door which she walked through and then closed softly behind her. It was dark inside but she could just make out a sleeping form in the bed which she walked towards, the noise disturbed him from his slumber and he peered up through bleary eyes and smiled, "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she replied sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sitting up in bed Sal sent a spark from his wand to the candle beside his bed and looked up at Rose's face which was filled with anguish, "What's wrong?" he asked sounding concerned as he reached out to touch her bare arm.

"I think I might have done something stupid," she replied, "and I'm really sorry about it."

"What is it?" he asked kindly sensing her nervousness but also feeling his stomach turn a little in fear. For a minute she didn't speak and he sat right up in bed next to her to try and give her some encouragement, "Rose, talk to me," he went on rubbing her arm.

"I saw Gloria at the pub and I said some things that I maybe shouldn't have."

"Like what?" he asked feeling his stomach unclench.

"She was shouting at me and saying that she'd have had you back in her bed by now if it wasn't for me getting in the way."

"She said what?" he asked indignantly putting his arm around her, "How dare she?"

"But I was so angry at her and I started saying things about how...how," she started to bite her nails nervously, "how she wasn't...very...exciting and I shouldn't have done it Sal, I'm so sorry, that was your private business and I had no right to say anything about it, please don't hate me."

"Hey, Rose," he said tenderly catching her arm as she tried to stand up and walk away from the bed, "I don't care what you said to her, especially if she thinks she'd have had me back with or without you in my life," he pulled her gently down onto his knee and put his arms around her. "As long as you were standing up for me you can say anything you want about mine and Gloria's sex life, or lack of it! All I care about is keeping our sex life private!"

"Are...are you sure?" she stuttered looking at him and feeling her body relax.

"Honestly," he said stroking her hair back from her face and cupping her cheek in his hand, "Gloria can say what she likes and think what she likes and if she's going to upset you by threatening to take me away then feel free to give her whatever you've got!" Rose smiled at him and sighed softly.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked quizzically.

"For being so understanding." But instead of replying he leaned up to kiss her gently on her nose, her cheeks and her lips and then pulled her down with him as he laid back on the bed.

"Come to bed," he whispered stroking her face with his fingers and she quickly stood up and began to undress.

"Where do you want me to put these?" she whispered back holding her red dress and tights which she had worn for the night out, "I know you like to keep the place tidy," she chuckled knowing that this was definitely one place where they were complete opposites. Tidiness was not one of the traits she had inherited from her mother and over the last few weeks she had felt increasingly guilty about messing up Salamander's room.

"Just drop them anywhere and get in here," he chuckled back holding up the covers, "you don't have to be tidy for me!" But she carefully laid them on the chair near his bed anyway before removing her underwear and dropping them on top. "Hey, you're not really worried about what Gloria said are you?" he asked as she climbed into the bed and let him pull her close to him, "because you don't have to be, I'm going nowhere."

She smiled at him and started to stroke his chest, she wasn't afraid that he would go back to Gloria, she knew that wouldn't happen, but she was worried about what Gloria might try to do, "No," she whispered back.

"Good," he said kissing the top of her head, "did she say anything else to you?"

"No," she lied deciding not to go into the whole conversation, it had unnerved her slightly and her friends had spent the rest of the night trying to convince her that she had not said anything out of turn but she could only relax now that she had told Sal all about it.

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"Can we just spend the day here?" Sal asked a week later when he opened his eyes and saw Rose's beautiful face staring back at him.

"That's fine with me!" she replied smiling and ruffling his tousled hair. They had spent another blissful week together culminating in a special dinner which he had cooked for her the night before where he had actually told her that he loved her. Upon hearing the three simple words she had melted and repeated them back to him, something which had then prompted Sal to lift her up in his arms and carry her into his bedroom where they made love to each other intermittently through the night, eventually falling asleep wrapped around each other at about four o clock. Rose had never felt as happy in her life before, no one had ever uttered those words to her and meant them but this time she had seen the sincerity in his face and had felt it in the way he had made slow and tender love to her.

"I'll make some breakfast shall I?" he asked nuzzling her neck.

"Later," she replied running her fingers along his chest and down towards his navel making him moan with pleasure. Laying back his head he allowed her fingers to touch and caress him as his sought out her soft breasts but they were interrupted seconds later by a knock at the front door. Sal groaned in frustration and was about to get up when he heard James' bedroom door open so he laid back and held onto Rose's hand as he listened carefully to see who had disturbed their Saturday morning.

"What the hell do you want?" he heard James moan.

"I need to see Salamander," replied a familiar voice and he groaned again.

"Well he doesn't want to see you," James went on stoically.

"I don't care whether he wants to see me or not, I need to talk to him and I'll wait here until I do James almighty Potter," he heard Gloria reply and then the door closed behind her as she had presumably pushed past him and entered the flat. Sal groaned again and looked apologetically at Rose who nodded her head in understanding as James knocked on the door.

"You decent?" he asked as the bedroom door slowly opened.

"A ha," Sal replied and James' head peered around the side.

"Er...Gloria..."

"I heard," Salamander groaned as he sat up and located his dressing gown from the chair beside his bed, "tell her I'll be there in a minute," he added standing up to fasten the robe and then leaning down to kiss Rose on the forehead.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Rose asked supportively as James closed the door on them.

"No, you stay here," he whispered brushing her frizzy hair away from her face, "I'll get rid of her," he added and then kissed her forehead again before walking slowly over to the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Rose heard him ask suspiciously when the bedroom door had closed behind Salamander.

"I need to talk to you," she heard Gloria reply, "alone," she added obviously referring to James who was undoubtedly standing loyally by his friend. "I suppose that whore's here as well," she went on.

"Don't you dare talk about Rose like that!" she heard Salamander bark steadfastly.

"What, so she can spread vicious lies about me but I can't say anything about her?" she spat back.

"She was telling the truth Gloria and as far as I'm concerned she can say anything she likes about you, you're the one telling the lies, Rose is not a whore," he spat back, "that's what you are." In the bedroom Rose hugged her knees and smiled at the way he had stood up for her.

"Look," Rose heard Gloria say as she sighed heavily, "I didn't come here to argue, like I said I need to talk to you alone."

"I'll...I'll just..." James said and a moment later the door opened again and he walked in to check on his cousin. "You okay?" he asked when he had closed the door on Sal and Gloria.

"Yeah," she replied knowing full well that Gloria would always refer to her in that way, "I'm fine," she added pulling the sheet around her body so she could sit up on the bed next to him, they could hear hushed voices coming from the room next door but neither could make out what was being said as they waited.

Eventually they heard the front door to the flat close and James walked out leaving Rose to search out something to wear. Dragging one of Salamander's quidditch shirts over her head and donning a pair of his boxer shorts she walked to the bedroom door and opened it. Out in the living room she could see Salamander on one of the chairs sat with his head in his hands while James sat on the arm patting his back, James' face looked grave and Rose sensed immediately that something was wrong. At the sound of her closing the bedroom door behind her Salamander looked up and she could see that he had aged in seconds, something was definitely wrong but all he could utter was, "Rose," before he dropped his head back into his hands.

"What's the matter?" she asked tentatively as she walked towards them and saw him shaking his head.

He didn't look up so she looked to her cousin for information and her heart plummeted as he looked back at her solemnly and whispered, "Gloria's pregnant."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Hey," Gloria whispered kneeling down in front of Salamander's chair and taking his hands in hers, he kept his head down and she could see a few tears dropping from his face, one or two landed on her hands as she stroked his and whispered shushing noises. "Salamander look at me," she went on but he wouldn't lift his head, "please look at me," she repeated swallowing over the lump in her throat and blinking back the tears that were threatening to wash over her own eyelids. In those two words that James had uttered her whole new exciting life had fallen apart and she wasn't sure where it was going to go. However her loving nature had pushed that to the back of her mind as she tried to concentrate on the woeful man now in front of her.

"I'll...I'll give you some space," James uttered standing up and walking into the kitchen area of the flat.

"Rose," Salamander sobbed wiping away tears from his eyes and finally looking up at her, "I'm so sorry."

"Hey," she said gently but firmly, "don't you go apologising, this is not your fault, this is nobody's fault, these things happen," she went on knowing that concentrating on him and his feelings was the only thing stopping her from thinking about her own. "Listen to me," she said wiping a tear from his cheek and feeling him lean into her cupped hand as he closed his eyes.

"What am I going to do?" he asked opening his eyes and trying to smile through his tears.

"Whatever you want to do," she replied understandingly, "whatever you feel you have to do."

"I don't know," he replied, "I can't get my head around it."

"Then don't think about what you are going to do just yet Sal, that can wait. Is...is she sure?"

He nodded his head and said mechanically, "She went to St Mungos yesterday and they did the wand test, she's just about six weeks and that was before she slept with...him, according to her but I...I don't know how long it went on for."

"But they're not completely accurate are they?" she asked.

"Only a day either side these days, she swears that it's mine," he explained dropping his head into his hands again.

"Oh. Is there a test that can...can check?" she asked tentatively.

"Not until the baby is born," he replied. She had started to rub his shoulder unconsciously and he lifted his hand to touch hers.

"Oh," she said not knowing what else to say to him.

"Hey mate," James said coming back into the room floating three cups in front of him, "coffee?" he asked and then added, "they're Irish!" Salamander tried to smile as he accepted the cup and drained its contents slowly. Rose took hers too and smiled back at her cousin who tried to offer sympathy to her through his eyes. He had absolutely no idea what Salamander must be going through and knew he would be beside himself if Annemarie announced that she was pregnant never mind an ex girlfriend who had cheated on him. Life could be so cruel sometimes and James felt for both people sat in front of him now, he could not get over Rose's strong resolve as he expected her to crumble immediately but then, he mused, her mother was strong in public and he knew she was probably waiting until she was alone to fall apart.

Rose continued to hold Sal's hand as he stared at the wall without speaking. She was thinking about him and him only as he needed her strength and not a crumbling girl who's wonderful new relationship was crumbling around her, "I need...I need to be alone...I need to think," Sal said standing up.

"I'll go," Rose whispered standing up too.

"No," he shouted and then went on softly, "no, I don't want you to go I just...I just..."

"Salamander," Rose started, "you need to take this in, you need to think about it on your own, I'll go home and sort some things out that I needed to do today, if you want me to come back just floo me or send James for me." She looked at her cousin who nodded his head in agreement and promised her through his eyes that he would stay by Sal's side all day.

"Are you sure?" the distraught man asked.

"I'm sure," she added taking his hands in hers again, "take all the time you need."

"Thank you," he whispered taking her in his arms and holding her close, "I love you Rose," he added and she blinked back the fresh wave of tears threatening to flow.

"I love you too," she whispered swallowing over the lump in her throat again and standing back, "you know where I am," she smiled and then turned to look at James who she was surprised to see had glassy eyes. As she walked past him to the fireplace he grabbed her hand and squeezed it and she smiled before jumping onto the grate and disappearing in a whirl of green flames.

She stepped out of the fireplace in her own cold house and managed only one step before she collapsed in a heap on the sheepskin rug where she and Sal had made love the previous week. Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks and she sobbed into her hands as her shoulders shook and her breathing became ragged.

She barely moved all day, Dominique arrived to comfort her after receiving an owl from James who was worried about Rose and thought she should have someone with her as he was consoling Salamander. She managed to get Rose to sit on the sofa and though she barely spoke all day Dominique sat loyally by her side forcing her to eat and drink and watching her stare into the fire. Around three o clock James flooed in and hugged his cousin who looked dolefully at him, "Consuella's just arrived," he said as explanation for why he was here instead of with his friend, "she's going ballistic!"

"I bet," Dominique smiled and Rose's face even lifted a little at the thought of Salamander's sister taking the news. "Does he know what he's going to do yet?" she went on glancing at Rose who's gaze had returned to the fire as if she was searching for some answers in there.

"He's more worried about...Rose," James replied shaking his head.

"Me?" Rose said as her head shot up and looked at him.

James nodded and said quietly, "He thinks you hate him for doing this to you."

"But...but..." Rose stuttered, "this is not his fault or anybody's it happened accidentally, he needs to worry about what he's going to do, not about me."

"I keep trying to tell him that but he just keeps worrying about how you're feeling, he thinks that's why you left this morning."

"But I...I just thought he'd need some time to think on his own without me being there."

"I know that," James said to her, "and like I said I keep trying to tell him but it doesn't make any difference."

"Should I go back?" Rose asked tentatively, "I want him to think about what he needs to do, not about me. This is big and doesn't involve me, he has to think about himself and Gloria and...and the baby."

"Go and see him, talk to him and tell him that, he needs to deal with this no matter how difficult it will be for..." he paused and looked Rose directly in the eye, "…for both of you." She nodded back at him with a sad look on her face and James added, "I'll go to Annemarie's tonight, let you both talk." Rose nodded her head again in thanks and then smiled at him before apparating out of her living room and appearing seconds later at the door to Salamander's flat still wearing his quidditch shirt and boxer shorts which she had left in that morning.

She knocked tentatively on the door and waited listening to Salamander's footsteps approaching from the other side. When he opened the door she gasped at the look on his face, he was completely grey and appeared as if he had been ill for weeks on end. "Rose," he whispered sounding relieved to see her, "come in, why didn't you floo?"

"I...I don't know," she answered truthfully wringing her hands.

"I'm so sorry Rose really I..." he blustered taking hold of her hands and then dropping them suddenly like hot potatoes. She could see he was scared of her reaction to him and knew James had told the truth when he said Sal had spent the whole day worrying about her.

"Hey," she returned taking his hands in hers and taking a step towards him, "I told you, this is not your fault, stop worrying about me and think about what you need to do."

"But...but this affects you too," he replied looking away from her, he was desperate to lose himself in the girl he now knew was the only girl he had ever and would ever love. For a moment he wanted to forget what had happened today but he knew it was wrong and that he could not force himself on her after the devastation of that morning.

"Not as much as it affects you Sal," she said sensing his hesitation and lifting her hand up to his cheek, he needed comfort and he needed love and she knew she was the only one who could give him it to him. Stroking his cheek softly she pushed herself up on her tiptoes and searched out his lips for a moment wanting to show him that she did not blame him or love him any less because of what had happened. He responded for a short while and then they broke apart and she walked to the sofa where she beckoned for him to sit with her. They sat side by side and she held his hands again, "Do you know what you are going to do?" she asked softly and he shook his head.

"No," he replied honestly, "I've just been thinking about how this will affect you."

"Well you have to stop that," she went on firmly but with compassion, "you have to think about you...and Gloria...and the baby."

"But what if it's not my baby?" he asked feeling relief that he could talk to someone about it even though he hated that it had to be Rose.

"And what if it is?" she replied, "Do you think you could forgive yourself if it is yours and you are not there for it?"

"I...I don't know," he returned.

"Sal you couldn't and you know you couldn't, you have to decide whether you can do that."

"But what about us?" he asked.

"We are not important in this," she answered smiling softly.

"No Rose, you are the most important thing in my life," he protested gazing deep into her eyes.

"Not if you have a child," she whispered knowing that a child would far surpass her in his life, "you will need to be there for him or her."

"I can do that when I know if...if it's mine or not."

"And if it is you will need to do it as...as a family," she almost whimpered, she could not bare to let him go from her life but knew that if the child was his she would have no other choice.

"But I...I can't...I can't go back to Gloria. I can't," he stated.

"That is a choice for you to make Sal, only you can decide if you will need to be a family or not, a child needs both of its parents…and they should be together." She was fighting back tears as she knew she was giving him an easy way out of their relationship but she would be strong and let him go because she loved him so much. Fate had dealt them a blow but being difficult about it would not change the situation.

"I can't leave you," he whispered leaning across and burying his head in her shoulder, "I love you so much," he murmured.

"I know," she whispered into his ear stroking his wild hair and putting her arms around him, "and I love you too but you have to think about it and if that is what you need to do then...then I will let you go." He couldn't bare the thought of doing that and he began to weep as he tried to imagine life without her in it, she felt his body shake and unconsciously started to console him by rubbing his shoulders. The tears which had threatened her own eyes began to fall and they slowly laid back on the sofa Sal with his head against her breast and Rose with her arms around him. He softly stroked her waist with the hand that was not beneath him as they held one another in silence both trying to imagine life without the other in it.

The sky beyond the windows grew dark and the only light in the room came from the blazing fireplace which they were both staring into still not speaking but holding each other fiercely. They had stopped crying and were gently stroking one another, Sal's hand had slid inside the quidditch shirt and he played with the soft flesh of her stomach. Rose reached down to cover his hand with hers and gently slid it up her body until it came to rest on one of her small pert breasts and he looked at her afraid to try and force anything after the day they had had but she half smiled and encouraged him with her fingers to manipulate her breast and nipple while she gasped quietly and breathed deeply. For a moment she wanted to forget, wanted to put it away in a box and think about it tomorrow, right now she wanted to share something deep and meaningful with the man that she loved and she knew he needed it too. Sal repositioned himself between her legs and ran his hands along her body and up her arms removing the shirt she wore which he discarded on the floor beside them. He then lowered his mouth to kiss her lithe upper body starting at the neck and slowly trailing down between her breasts until he reached her belly button. She moaned softly at his touch and pulled the shirt he wore himself over his head discarding it with her own before gazing up into his deep penetrating eyes. They suddenly seemed alive again and she saw love deep within them, love which made her body quiver and her heart ache as he slowly took off the boxer shorts she wore.

When she was fully naked Sal stood up to remove his trousers and then carefully lowered himself between her legs which she lifted to invite him. Resting his elbows on the cushion he touched her chest to chest and stroked her hair back from her face, she could feel him pressing hard against her own throbbing body and she longed to feel him push inside her. Gazing into those newly awakened eyes she wrapped her arms around his upper body and tried to coax him to enter her by pushing her knees gently against his buttocks but he held himself back and simply gazed at her. "Are you sure you want to do this," he muttered hoarsely almost stumbling on the words, she had initiated it and he wanted nothing more from her but he was afraid now that it was the wrong thing to do.

"Make love to me," she whimpered desperate to be one with him as she wiped fresh tears from his eyes with her finger tips, they began to roll down her own face as she said it and he looked at her with concern.

"Rose, don't cry," he begged kissing the tears away with his soft lips, "we don't need to do this," he went on moving his bottom away so she could no longer feel him probing.

"Salamander, make love to me," she repeated pushing her knees against him again and he looked deep into her eyes and saw what she wanted, what she needed. Slowly and tentatively he pushed himself against her, pushing her open and going deep within her as she groaned. He made love slowly and sensuously listening to every breath and wanting to make it last forever, to stay with her in the moment forever and forget the world outside and the future he faced. Rose scratched his back gently with her nails as she listened to his own pleasurable moans and eventually after more deep slow thrusts Salamander cried out and stopped moving above her.

Their eyes had been interlocked throughout it all and he could not tear himself away, he had seen passion, love and pain in them all at the same time but now that it was over he saw the pain shine out strongest and he felt guilty about what they had done. "I'm sorry," he whispered trying to move away but she shook her head at him and held him near as she tried to smile, she too had seen the confusion and fear return to his eyes as he had relaxed and could sense immediately what he was thinking.

"Stop blaming yourself Sal," she whispered, "and don't feel guilty for this," she went on feeling her heart beating wildly against her chest, "none of this is your fault. Whatever happens, happens," she explained, "and I will be there for you however you want me to be, as a girlfriend or...as a friend," she almost tripped on the word but her love for him spurred her on to make this as easy as she could.

"How can you be so understanding?" he asked looking at her with amazement.

"Because it has happened and we can't change that Sal, making it difficult will not change the situation, we have to accept it and do whatever needs to be done, you need to do what you need to do. I am here for you and I will stay here all night to talk, to listen or just to be." She smiled as he kissed her longingly and slid back to the position they had been in before, he with his head against her now bare breast and she with her arms around him.

They stayed naked as they were and gently caressed each other staying silent and motionless throughout the night, neither of them slept and neither of them moved until the dawn broke through the still open curtains and with a soft kiss Rose sat up and stared at Salamander. "It's Bill and Fleur's wedding anniversary today," she finally whispered reaching out for the discarded quidditch shirt, "I promised to help out with the party all day."

"I'd forgotten about that," Salamander gasped watching as she covered her exquisite body and pulled her hair back into a tight knot.

"Understandably," she replied. "You don't have to come," she said stoically, "you have enough to worry about."

"No," he said firmly, "I'll be there, I promised that I would go with you and I will."

"Thank you," she whispered reaching out to touch his face. "But you also have to think, Sal. I know it's hard but you need to make a decision…and soon." He nodded his understanding and then she leaned over to kiss him tenderly before rising to take a shower and change so she could head to the Burrow and help decorate the enormous marquee being erected to celebrate her Aunt and Uncle's twenty fifth wedding anniversary.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Rose walked around all day mechanically doing whatever she had been instructed to do by her mother or Grandmother without actually realising what she was doing and now everything was ready. The balloons were blown up, the tables set and the streamers were thrown. Ice sculpted swans sat in the centre of each table with red roses scattered around them. A path to the marquee had been covered with rose trimmed arches united in the centre with animated plastic doves magically enchanted to drop confetti on all those who walked beneath them. It was cupid's paradise and the last place that Rose wanted to be.

Dominique had approached her earlier in the day to see how she was and how Sal was but she had sent her away afraid to talk about it in case she broke down and cried. She had also done the same when James had walked over around mid afternoon and he had just nodded in understanding.

At six o clock she went home to get ready and dressed in the gold floor length strapless robes which she had bought for the occasion. She twisted her hair in a chignon and applied mascara and clear lip gloss before walking into the living room and flooing back to the Burrow for the party. She arrived at half past seven and the party was already in full swing, the entire family were there along with Bill and Fleur's closest friends including Salamander's parents and sister.

She was walking across the garden in the direction of the marquee when Salamander spotted her and his breath caught in his throat, she was absolutely stunning. He watched as she stopped to speak with Dominique, who was dressed in striking black robes with a halter neck top, and her heavily pregnant sister, Victorie, who was trying to hide the bulge in her middle with a scarf that the girls were altering for her. He walked slowly over to the small group and tapped Rose on the shoulder, "Sal," she whispered looking at him in his smart dress robes.

"You look beautiful," he replied smiling at her, "and you too ladies," he added nodding at Dominique and Victoire.

"I look like a beached whale!" Victoire snapped back, "Women who get pregnant must be insane!" she added turning to walk away and find her husband while Dominique looked knowingly at Sal.

"How are you?" she asked sincerely and he dropped his head in response. "I'll catch you later," she went on softly leaving Rose and Sal alone.

"You do look beautiful," Sal reiterated offering his arm to Rose who took it.

"Thank you," she replied feeling her stomach flip as she touched his arm.

They headed towards the marquee where a meal was about to be served and walked under the doves which scattered pink and white confetti all over them. They stopped and looked at each other but neither said a word and after a moment they headed inside and sat down with Rose's parents, her brother Hugo and his girlfriend, Sal's Mum and Dad and Consuella who was dateless. Apart from Consuella they were the only two at the table who knew what had happened with Gloria and so the meal passed in pleasant conversation followed by a speech from Bill about his twenty five years of happy marriage, then everyone was invited to dance.

After one dance Salamander headed over to a small table to get drinks for he and Rose where he bumped into Teddy Lupin, husband of Victoire and expectant father, "Hey Teddy how's it going?" Sal asked.

"Tiring mate! And the baby isn't even here yet! I tell you pregnant women are a nightmare, hormones all over the place, one minute she's crying one minute she's laughing then before you know it she's growling at you and you feel like a total bastard because you didn't light the candle that she wanted!"

"That bad?" Sal tried to chuckle.

"Not really, it's all worth it when you feel that little baby kick and you know that it's yours," he replied smiling serenely as his wife came up beside him.

"I'm so tired," she whispered.

"I know Sweetheart," he replied putting a loving hand on her stomach and patting it absentmindedly. "We'll sneak off soon," he went on handing her a glass of pumpkin juice and guiding her back to their table where he sat beside her and plumped up a cushion behind her back to make her comfortable.

Salamander glanced around at other people in the room and a couple with a small child caught his eye, it was a little boy about a year old and he was dressed in black baby robes with a cute little bow tie. His father was holding him up on the dance floor while he waddled to his mother whose arms were outstretched to catch him. When he reached her she lifted him up and twirled him round before the father walked over and put his arm around them both, he then took the baby back and they carried out the whole scenario again. It almost brought a tear to his eye, he had never noticed or been affected by such things before but now that the prospect of being a father himself had been thrust upon him he realised how important a small family unit was and how important it was to be around when the child was growing inside the womb too.

Salamander knew immediately what he had to do, he had thought about it all day and always came to the conclusion that he could not go back to Gloria now that he knew what real love was. However seeing Teddy and Victoire and the happy little family on the dancefloor he knew that his conclusion was wrong, no matter what his feelings were for Gloria the child had to come first. It might not be his but until he was sure he would have to be there for Gloria and that meant breaking things off with Rose. His heart fell as he realised that and he almost burst into sobs right there but he took a deep breath and looked over at the pretty girl now talking to Victoire and Bill. He could see she was yearning and though it had to be done he decided it could wait until the morning, he didn't want to do it with all these people around and a few hours could make little difference to his heart or hers.

Midnight was fast approaching and Salamander was sat at the table alone watching Rose talking with her cousins and dancing a little with the younger ones. His head had been in turmoil since he had made the decision hours ago and he had been searching for the right way to tell her the following day but he could not form the words in his head. Teddy and Victoire had left shortly after ten and the small family had gone too but Salamander had repeatedly played over the scenario on the dance floor imagining that he was the father and the son had been his. He was staring out of the marquee curtains still thinking over his words when a soft voice interrupted him, "You've made a decision haven't you?" it asked and he turned to gaze at the understanding face of the girl he was hopelessly in love with.

"Yes," he nodded faltering on the word.

"And?" she asked sitting beside him and taking hold of his hand. She could see it already and knew it would be hard for him to say, but no matter how hard it was for her to hear she would stay strong and support him.

"I was going to wait until-"

"That won't change the outcome," she interrupted stroking his hand as he looked down at it.

"I have to support Gloria," he uttered barely audibly and she nodded her head biting back the tears pricking her eyelids. "You were right, if it is my child and I'm not there to support her I will never forgive myself, I watched Teddy tonight with Victoire and he loved the bulge in her stomach so much. I have to...to..."

"I know," she whispered.

"And if it is mine then...then we will have to be a family, I will marry Gloria and raise our child in a safe, secure home with both its Mother and Father around," he continued, tears pricking his own eyes and starting to fall down his cheeks. "And if it is not my child then I will walk away."

"And I will be waiting," she replied with a smile.

"No," he whispered gazing up into her eyes, "no Rose, I can't...I can't expect you to put your life on hold for eight months until we know, this is my mess and not yours. I can't stay with you now and then leave you if the child is mine but you can't wait to see if it is either, I won't let you. If it is mine you will have wasted so long waiting for...for nothing," he went on.

"But I won't ever love anyone like you," she whispered.

"Yes you will," he replied smiling at her, "you'll find someone wonderful, someone deserving of your love, just be yourself Rose and let them find you, but don't give up because of me, I have to do this for my child but...but I will always love you. You have shown me more happiness in a few short weeks than I could ever imagine and you need to give that happiness to someone else, someone more worthy."

"You were worthy Sal," she almost whimpered, "you are worthy and I will always love you too, but I understand what you are going through, and if the baby is yours I wish you look, but if it is not then-" He put his fingers against her lips to stop her saying that she would wait for him. He could not allow her to do that, he would not have her waiting around when he might never be able to return to her.

"No," he said shaking his head, "no." Then he pulled her into his arms and stifled her protests with a soft kiss. She lingered over it for a few moments and then he stood up to leave just as the band announced that they were playing their last song for Bill and Fleur and all the couples in the room took the dance floor to celebrate the end of a wonderful evening. Seeing the sad look in Rose's eyes and realising she would be the only one still sitting down her offered her his hand and whispered, "Dance with me."

Rose looked up through glassy eyes and took his hand as he led her to the dance floor where he placed her arms around his neck and put his own on her waist, holding her close as her head laid against his shoulder. He breathed in her scent and let his tears fall unchecked as they swayed to the music. Other couples around them were laughing and smiling and kissing each other but they just swayed, clinging on to each other for dear life, crying and feeling their hearts break inside of them. She felt small in his arms and he wanted to take her away from the nightmare, away from the world and be alone with her forever. But as the song ended and everyone began to clap and toast her Aunt and Uncle, Salamander reluctantly moved his hands from around her back. Her hands unclasped and came to rest on his shoulders as he tilted her chin up with his finger and leaned down to give her one long kiss, he curled her hair around his fingers and felt their tears mingle on his cheeks as slowly he pulled away and looked down upon her. This was the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his life and he knew he would never quite be himself again. Rose had shown him the loving life he could have had and the one life he now had to turn his back on, wiping stray tears from her cheeks he smiled at her softly and then did just that. He turned and walked away from the dance floor, away from the girl he loved and away from the party celebrating twenty five years of a loving relationship that he would never have.

Rose watched him walk away leaving her alone in the middle of the parquet floor where her family were hugging and kissing her Aunt and Uncle, she felt numb and lonely as James turned from the throng and saw her. He stopped clapping and smiling as he saw in her face what was wrong, he had seen them dancing close and noticed that they did not look happy but he had put it down to the situation they were in. Now he knew why they had been unhappy and he knew what Salamander had done so, letting go of Annemarie's hand he walked over to his cousin and wordlessly put his arm around her pulling her into a tight hug and rubbing her back gently. Dominique who was also hugging her parents noticed him holding her and left them to offer her own comfort, she stood behind them and put her arm around her lost cousin whose body was racked with sobs. "Let's get her out of here before anyone sees," she whispered nodding towards the door. Everyone else except for Annemarie was still wrapped up in the cheering so they quickly guided her out of the marquee and across to the Burrow where they could all floo back to Rose's house together.

They put her to bed and Dominique gave her a mild sedative potion so she would rest through the night before returning to her cousin and his girlfriend in the sitting room. "I'll stay here if you want," she said to James, "go and see Salamander, he'll be just the same."

"That little tramp I could...I could..."

"We all could James," Dom growled, "but what happened has happened and there is nothing else we can do about it is there? We just need to be there, for both of them."

"I know," he groaned downing a glass of firewhiskey which he had poured while Dom and Rose were upstairs.

"You go and see Salamander," Annemarie urged, "I'll stay here and keep Dominique company, if that's alright?" she added tentatively.

"Fine by me," she replied smiling.

"I'll go and check on him then," James said leaning over to kiss Annemarie, "I'll see you tomorrow," he added before whispering, "I love you."

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He arrived at the flat to find Salamander sat in a heap on the floor with a half empty bottle of firewhiskey beside him, he had drunk it straight from the bottle and the effects were already clear even though he couldn't have been drinking for more than half an hour.

"Hey mate," James said tentatively not quite sure of what else to say, "I just came from...Rose's."

"Hmm," he replied staring into the fire and taking another swig from the bottle.

"It's not going to help you know," James offered feeling that he was likely to get a smack in the teeth. "You know how you felt last time you drank half a bottle of firewhiskey."

"Yeah, I ended up in bed with Rose," he answered in a monotone voice, "maybe if I drink the rest of it I'll wake up in the same place."

"Mate you can't do that!" James shrieked.

"I know I can't do that," Sal bellowed back, "I'll never be able to do that again, I'll be stuck with ice queen Gloria for the rest of my miserable, pathetic life. They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone," he slurred, "well I knew what I had, I was happy for six god damn weeks and I've still lost it," he concluded swigging from the bottle again and then slamming it onto the floor beside him. James didn't know what to say to him at all, he couldn't imagine losing Annemarie now and hated to even contemplate that it could ever happen.

"The baby might not be yours," he offered hopefully, "maybe then you could..."

"I can't expect Rose to wait around for eight months in the hope that it might not be mine, what does she do then if it is? She's wasted eight months when she could have been out there finding someone else to love, I can't do that to her."

"She might do it anyway," James said quietly thinking about how much she loved Salamander and how determined his cousin could be.

"Well you have to make sure that she doesn't, this is hard enough but I won't let her waste her time for my mistake. Promise me James that you'll make her go out there, you and Dom and whoever else, she has to get on with her life, mine might be over but she deserves to find happiness and not pay for my stupid mistake."

"I..." he stuttered not sure if he would be able to make Rose do anything that she didn't want to do.

"Promise me James," Salamander shouted angrily grabbing the bottle and taking another deep swig.

"Okay," he replied wanting to placate him for the moment while his head was spinning from the intoxicating liquid inside of him.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Three months later the girls had had enough and they banded together to gang up on their desolate cousin and friend, "Rose, you have to get out of here," they shrieked in unison one Saturday morning.

"Whether you want to or not we are going into Diagon Alley today and tonight you're going to put on something pretty and we are off to the Three Broomsticks for a drink, we won't let you wallow in this house any longer," Holly added looking at the lonely girl sat yet again in the squashy armchair by the fire. She had barely left the house except to go to work since the day Salamander had broken up with her, she was turning into a recluse and the girls had tried everything they could think of to coax her round. Holly had given in and moved into the thin terraced house in Hogsmeade to comfort her friend, taking residence in the back bedroom where she listened to Rose sobbing into her pillow night after night. She had always taken break ups badly but this time it was extreme, she barely ate or drank and Holly struggled to even get a conversation out of her at times. Dominique had been equally worried about her cousin and had aided Holly in trying to give Rose some life for the last three months but the night before, after she had gone to bed at nine o clock as always, they had put their heads together and decided that drastic action needed to be taken and they wouldn't be taking no as an answer.

"Come on Rose," Dominique added in a demanding tone, "get out of bed, get some clothes on and we're going, no is not an option, I've invited Annemarie along as she's spending more time with the family and she needs to get to know the real Rose Weasley." She glared at them angrily from her bed as it was the last thing that Rose felt like doing. All she had managed was getting herself into work each day for the last few months as she had never felt as lonely before in her life. She knew that she had been and still was desperately in love with Salamander Longbottom and no matter how had she tried she just could not motivate herself to do anything. It felt as if she had lost a limb when Sal left her and in a strange way some part of her had definitely gone with him.

"Rose, get up!" Holly shouted dragging the covers from her friend and forcing her to get out of bed, "get dressed and we'll be downstairs waiting for you, you can't stay here forever and we won't let you," she finished heading to the door to give her some privacy, "ten minutes and we're off!"

Rose appeared in the living room doorway about twenty minutes later, her hair was scraped back into a pony tail and she wore baggy jeans and a quidditch shirt which had once belonged to Salamander, the girls were tempted to tell her she couldn't wear it but decided that she had made one step and they didn't want to send her backwards now. "Come on then," Dominique announced standing up and grabbing hold of her cousin's arm, "I said we'd meet Annemarie in the Cauldron at ten," then she jumped into the floo and disappeared in a whirl of green flames.

"Hey girls," Annemarie said when she saw them step out of the fire in the pub one at a time, Rose looking solemn but still moving forwards.

"Hey," Dom replied, "ready for a bit of shopping?"

"Always!" Annemarie replied chuckling.

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Two hours later the foursome returned to the Leaky Cauldron for a well earned rest and a hot chocolate, they had managed to coax Rose into buying some new robes and a pendant for her neck but she still was not smiling. The others had purchased a variety of things from the weird and wonderful shops along Diagon Alley but they all felt like taking a long nap before dragging Rose out again in the evening. Tom, the barman, had just served them all enormous steaming mugs when the door to the pub opened and Salamander walked through it, Rose had her back to the door but at the gasp which escaped uncontrollably from Dominique's mouth she turned her head to see what it was. Her face fell and she moved her shaking cup back to the saucer it had some from as she continued to watch Gloria walking in behind him, her slightly swollen stomach leading the way, though it was not as big as she had expected it to be. Salamander froze on the spot when he noticed her and the girls and his companion almost walked into the back of him. When she saw what had caused him to stop she took hold of his arm and giggled furiously saying in an overly loud voice, "Oh Darling I almost fell over you then, come on let's get to the bar so I can rest my weary feet, it is tiring buying all these baby things." Sal heard her speak and turned to look at her before walking over to the bar carrying the multitude of bags which they had with them. He dropped them onto a barstool and ordered two drinks before whispering something in Gloria's ear to which she laughed heartily and then with a curious look on his face he headed into the toilets at the far end of the bar.

Rose's heartbeat had quickened already and she was feeling flustered, should she speak to him or ignore him? What would he think and what would Gloria think if she did either? The other girls at the table looked at her waiting with baited breath for her reaction, they had all seen her face fall back into that grimace which was almost permanently in place when Gloria had walked in behind Sal and they were as clueless as she was about what to do now. However they were saved from making a decision a few moments later when Salamander walked out of the toilets and headed purposefully towards their table. When he reached it Dominique glanced over at Gloria who had an angry look on her face but Sal did not seem to notice or worry as he said, "Girls," and nodded at them each in turn. His gaze lingered on Rose who tried in vain to smile at him, "How...how are you?" he asked quietly determined to have a conversation even though he could feel Gloria's eyes burning into his back.

"We're good," Holly replied on behalf of all of them even though she knew the question had been aimed at Rose. "Just been on a little shopping spree before our big Saturday night out!" she chuckled and the other girls, except for Rose, beamed at him and nodded their heads in an uncomfortably exciting way.

"Oh...oh good, glad to see that-"

"Sal," interrupted a sickly sweet voice from behind him and they all peered around to see Gloria waddling towards them. "Sweetheart," she went on taking his arm and stroking his hand, "I've changed my mind about the drink, I think we should just get back to the flat I need to lay down and perhaps you could rub my feet?" she smiled sweetly at him and then turned her piercing gaze onto Rose who simply smiled back as best she could.

"I was trying to catch up with-"

"I know you were Honey, but I'm tired and I need to go home," she interrupted once more smiling through her teeth at him. "Sorry to drag him away girls," she continued falsely, "but it is so wearisome being pregnant, if the truth be told I can't wait until we have our little baby here to spread the joy and make us a little family," she smiled again and the girls returned it with a grimace. One glance at Salamander's face showed that he was not in agreement but she grabbed tight hold of his other arm as she finished and practically dragged him away. With an angry look on his face he turned to walk with her but swung his head back around and gazed directly at Rose as he said, "Good to see you looking...well," and then he smiled at her and allowed Gloria to guide him to the barstool where he picked up all the bags and walked to the fireplace. Gloria insisted that he floo out first and before she left the bar herself she turned to look at Rose and gave her a satisfied glare which clearly expressed that she was the winner and Sal would not be going back to her foe.

"So," Dominique coughed uncomfortably, "anyone for another drink?" she asked draining the mug she had been hugging during the entire conversation. The other girls shook their head as their attention turned to Rose who was now staring into her own mug of dark brown liquid as if it was bottomless.

"She kept calling him Darling and Sweetheart," Rose mumbled sadly and Annemarie who was sat beside her started to stroke her arm affectionately.

"She does," Annemarie explained, "but…but he doesn't. She's trying to get him in her bed but Sal is adamant that it won't happen until he knows the child is his."

"They don't sleep together?" Rose asked.

"No," her new companion replied shaking her head, "Sal stays on the sofa or in James' room when he stays over with me, he won't have anything to do with her in that way at all even though by all accounts she keeps trying to seduce him." The other two girls shot her a wide eyed look as she said this but Rose continued to look at her with a curious and slightly brighter expression on her face.

"Seduce him?" she asked.

Annemarie looked at the other two for confirmation to continue and they nodded at her sighing, Rose wanted to hear it and there was little they could do to get her off the topic now. "A...apparently so," she went on, "she tries to dress up for him, I think James walked in on her once in the living room wearing a tight thing and a camisole which revealed her protruding stomach, he said it wasn't pretty but Sal just pushed her away and made himself a drink! He drinks a lot, once Gloria is in bed and especially when her parents have been."

"Why then?" Rose asked curiously.

"They keep giving him grief because he won't marry her," she explained.

"Oh?" Rose replied.

"Well she won't tell them that the baby might not be his so of course Sal is coming out as the bad guy because he refuses to propose until they have had the blood test, which they can't do until the baby is born," she continued wryly.

"I think she's hoping to get him ensnared before then but Sal is resolute, he will do what she needs for the baby, you know buying things, taking her to St Mungos and making sure she eats and drinks properly but in terms of a relationship it's non-existent until they know."

"I...I see," Rose replied.

"James says it's terrible over there and he's practically living with me at the moment! I said he could move in for the time being but he doesn't want to desert Sal either, so he keeps going back and supporting him even though he can't stand the sight of Gloria. Although he does say it's amusing when Consuella comes to visit!"

"I bet," Dominique interrupted.

"Oh yes, she flatly refuses to speak to her and directs everything she wants to ask about the baby to Sal, Gloria just gets more and more worked up and starts to shout at her but Consuella acts as if she isn't even there and totally ignores the hissy fit she's having in the corner! Sal gets plenty of earache about it when she goes but he doesn't care, he is only caring when it comes to the baby! ...He asks about you a lot," Annemarie added quietly glancing at the girls again.

"Me?" Rose asked.

"Yes," the worried girl went on quietly, "he hates to think of you wallowing away without him and he pleads with James all the time to make sure you go out and have fun, maybe...meet...someone," she finished tentatively.

"He does?"

"Aha," Annemarie nodded seeing a curious smile cross Rose's face. Of course deep down she knew that Sal would be saying that, that he would be thinking about her and not himself in all of this. Suddenly she realised that she was not alone in her misery but also that she needed to get up and out of the house, for Salamander if not for herself, if he knew she was trying to get on then she would be one less thing for him to worry about.

"So what time are we out tonight?" she asked sounding ever so slightly brighter and the other three girls dropped their jaws in astonishment.

"Er...er...half seven at yours?" Dominique asked.

"Half seven," Rose sighed knowing it still wouldn't be easy but also knowing she had to stop wallowing and try.

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"Four vodka and pumpkin juices please," Dominique said leaning over the bar at Madame Rosemerta. They had drunk a few at Rose and Holly's house before venturing out into the village and all four girls were feeling a little bit merry as they sat in a small booth and waited for their drinks to arrive. They didn't last long and Rose soon found herself at the bar ordering another round of doubles to keep her friends happy. She had made herself dress up and try to come out although now she was actually out there she realised it was going to be a lot tougher than she had first imagined, saying it and actually doing it were two completely different things.

She was tapping her fingers on the bar in impatience when someone approached her and held out a hand, she turned to look at the person proffering it forward and saw a short man dressed in muggle clothes smiling at her. He was just taller than she was with short dark hair and deep blue eyes, "Hi," he said in a deep voice, "I'm Mike, sorry to disturb you but I saw you with your friends and we," he indicated two other men sat at a table near the door, "wondered if we could buy you all a drink?"

"Oh...th...thank you but...but-"

"She'd love it," interrupted Holly from her other side as she dropped her hands onto her best friend's shoulders. They had seen the man approach Rose and all three pairs of eyes had widened, this could be just what their friend needed and sensing that she would turn him down Holly had jumped up to ensure that that didn't happen. "Why don't you join us too?" she asked confidently, "I'm Holly," she went on extending her hand "and this is Rose," she finished raising her eyebrows at her friend as she took the freshly poured drinks from Madame Rosmerta and headed back to their table. Rose picked up the other two drinks and followed her knowing that it was a bad idea but she could not turn them away now so she sat back in her seat as Mike beckoned for his other two friends to join them. "This is Annemarie and this is Dominique," Holly explained excitedly as the three young men approached and Mike introduced his two companions as David and Simon. "Pleased to meet you," Holly went on extending her hand to the two newcomers, "why don't you sit here with Dom and I? And Mike there's a seat next to Rose," she said demurely smiling at him and her friend.

"Do you mind?" Mike asked looking directly at Rose and she shook her head as she glared angrily at her friend. Holly just smiled back and lifted her eyebrows before turning to engage in conversation with the man sat beside her. Annemarie joined in the conversation and before long Rose found that she and Mike had been virtually left alone as the other five developed a deep and witty exchange together. "So," Mike said quietly, "I know it sounds corny but do you come here often?"

"I used to," she replied remembering the days before she went out with Salamander when she and her friends frequented the Leaky Cauldron on Friday nights and the Three Broomsticks on a Saturday, "but then I...I stopped for a while."

"Oh?" he queried.

"I started seeing someone and sort of...well stopped."

"Ah," Mike sighed, "are you still seeing someone?" he asked hopefully.

"No," she replied shaking her head and he seemed to sense that she did not want to talk about it.

"This is the first time we've been up here since we left school," Mike went on, "been travelling around the world on muggle relations with different Ministries," he explained.

"You work in muggle relations?" she asked relaxing slightly as she realised they at least had something to talk about, "I work for our ministry in the muggle relations department."

"Oh," he replied, "yes I was always interested in their ways and wanted to go into the field when I left school but there were no openings when I left, perhaps you had the last one?" he chuckled. "Although I would say that I'm a bit older than you! Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes," she replied "I left three years ago."

"Ah definitely younger than me then, I left seven years ago so I must have missed an opening while I was out exploring the world!"

"Seven years? Did you know Teddy Lupin?"

"Yes I did! Teddy and I were good friends, I take it you know him?"

"He's married to my cousin, Dominique's older sister in fact, they're about to have a baby," she added suddenly frowning as she remembered they were not the only ones about to have a baby, "any...any day now."

"Woah, that's very grown up! I take it you are talking about Victoire Weasley?" he asked, "At least I hope so, they were ridiculously in love at school and I doubt anyone else would have been able to snare him away from her!"

"Yes, Victoire is my cousin."

"What a small world," he chuckled relaxing and sliding down in his seat, "another drink?" he asked noting that her glass was already drained.

"I...I suppose," she tried to smile and he left the table to replenish their glasses. It was easy conversation and she knew her friends would make sure she talked to him for the rest of the night, at least they had something in common to talk about but she vowed now that in the morning her friends would pay.

"I took the liberty of buying a bottle of firewhiskey!" Mike chuckled as he returned to the table with the bottle and seven shot glasses, Rose's heart fell as she remembered the last time she had drunk firewhiskey and she longed to be able to wake up in bed with Salamander when the night was over. Her friends took the shots gratefully and the glare that they gave her dared her to refuse so she poured herself one and downed it quickly wincing and wiping her mouth as Mike refilled the seven vessels with more amber liquid. "So what made you go into muggle relations?" he asked sitting back in the seat with Rose.

"My grandparents are muggles," she explained suddenly feeling a little lightheaded from the alcohol, something she had not tasted for a good few months. "My Mum was a muggle born so we always had a lot of muggle stuff around when we growing up and my Uncle was brought up by muggles even though he was a wizard and didn't know until he was eleven."

"That would be Harry Potter I presume? Teddy's godfather."

"Aha," she nodded downing another shot of firewhiskey and wincing, it may have tasted bad but it was making her forget her troubles for a while and she felt strangely like she had done in her old days before she had fallen in love for the first time.

"Didn't he have a muggle cousin or nephew or something who turned out to be a wizard too?"

"Yeah, my cousin Vernon, although he isn't really a cousin but I suppose we have had a lot of muggles around us in our time!" she chuckled as she poured one more shot of firewhiskey and drained the glass again. Feeling it burn away her pain she turned to look at the man who had started to chat her up, on closer inspection he was quite attractive, his blue eyes were piercing and he had a strong masculine jaw line which made him instantly appealing to the rather tipsy Rose. He wore loose fitting jeans and a t shirt bearing the name of a muggle band she had heard of while working at the office, he had clean white trainers and a soft brown leather bomber jacket which gave him a confident look which Rose seemed suddenly drawn to.

"What made you want to go into muggle realtions?" she asked fluttering her eyelashes a little and leaning towards him as he poured her out another shot of firewhiskey.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Another shot fair maiden?" Mike asked as he hiccupped, he was rather attracted to the young Rose Weasley who he had been chatting up and getting drunk for the last hour and a half. It had taken her a while to relax but now she was into the swing of things she appeared to be coming on to him just as much. She would brush his arm when she spoke to him and laughed at everything he said, something which was actually a little annoying but she was certainly shaggable enough.

"Why not?" she chirped glancing over at her friends who were watching her through their own glassy eyes. Annemarie was slightly wary of the three men chatting to them and was a little worried about Rose in her vulnerable state but she appeared to be holding her own and finally smiling so she left her to it and continued talking to the two men trying to chat up Holly and Dominique.

"You are a very pretty Weasley," Mike flirted after downing another shot.

"Thank you," Rose replied fluttering her eyelashes and sliding her finger down Mike's arm again. At her touch he leaned in to kiss her and she allowed him to kissing him back vigorously for a moment until she pulled away.

"What's the problem?" he chuckled pouring them both another drink.

"Nothing I..." it had not been Salamander's kiss, that was the problem. It had not been his soft full lips pushing against hers but another man's, a man whose lips were thinner and a little harder and not filled with love. She looked at him curiously as he offered up the fresh shot of firewhiskey, her head was spinning now and she was feeling lost, she had suddenly remembered Salamander and all she had been through these last few months. However then she remembered that afternoon when she had seen him with Gloria, the girl who was trying to seduce him with skimpy clothing like she once had, like she used to before, before she knew love. But that love had gone and it wasn't coming back, Gloria was convinced the baby had been conceived before she had cheated on Salamander, the child would be his own and he would marry her despite not loving her so they could raise the child as a proper family, one she would never be part of again. She would never get to kiss Salamander's lips again so did it matter that these lips were different? All lips would be different from now on wouldn't they? They would never be his again.

"You look rather thoughtful," Mike chuckled looking at her through unfocused eyes, "am I a bad kisser?" he joked laughing as if it was completely unthinkable.

"No," she replied shaking her head, just different, but was different wrong? She remembered once more Annemarie telling her that Gloria tried to seduce Sal by dressing up and she remembered something else that she had at home, something which usually turned all men wild, well all men except the one she had wanted the most.

"Drink up," he chuckled offering her the shot he had poured and she took it, downed it in one and then thrust her lips at his and kissed him vigorously and passionately as they almost bit at each other in their haste. "Hmm, I think you could show me a good time!" he said pursing his lips when they broke apart and cocking one eyebrow at her.

"Come with me," she whispered seductively stroking his groin purposefully with her hand as she took his other in hers and yanked him to his feet.

"Don't wait up boys!" he threw over his shoulder as Rose dragged him towards the door of the pub they had almost decided to give a miss as they were passing through the village on their way to visit family.

They raced laughing and screeching down the high street of the village stopping in shop doorways for a steamy passionate kiss before continuing on their way. As they reached Rose's front door he grabbed her waist and pulled her into him jamming his lips against hers harshly and biting her bottom lip as he pulled away. She yelped softly but the twinkle in her eye showed that she didn't mind it and as she unlocked the door with her wand he slapped her bottom and made her shout as she bit her lip demurely. They fell along the hallway bouncing from wall to wall as they kissed with more vigour and began to tear at each others' clothes in haste, she dragged the t shirt over his head and unzipped his jeans hastily grabbing hold of his hard member through his shorts when he was stood in nothing else. Then pulling gently on it she guided him up the stairs and into her bedroom where she thrust him down on the bed, as she tried to walk away her grabbed her waist and dropped her onto his knee where he began to kiss and nibble her neck ferociously, this girl was hot and he knew she would show him a very good time. She tried to pull away again and after a moment he let her but slapped her bottom once more as she walked away and threw a delicious look over her shoulder.

In her bathroom she turned to a box which had been closed now for over four months and she hesitated, she had not put on any of this since she had surprised Sal and at the thought of him she stopped for a second and looked at herself in the mirror. This was not the girl she had become with him and for a moment she contemplated throwing the man out of her house and returning to her comfortable pyjamas and fluffy slippers, but then she remembered that would not bring him back and it would not get her laid either. Instead she shook her head and splashed some cold water on her face, what did it matter if she was miserable and alone, or miserable and having wild sex? She would still be miserable she thought. Knocking over the lid from the box she looked down upon its contents. Red she decided, like a Rose or...a scarlet woman.

"I thought you were –whoa!" Mike said when he saw he standing before him in the doorway to the bedroom, she was wearing red suspenders with black fishnet stockings attached to them, a red lace crotch less thong and a peephole matching bra which revealed her pert and erect nipples. She had her thigh high black patent boots zipped up to the top and was wearing a seductive smile as she walked towards him and pushed him back on the bed. Sitting astride him she lowered her body a little and he grabbed hold of her waist and then slid his hands up to the nipples sticking out of her bra. He touched them and listened to her groan then he began to tweak them, just a little at first and then harder until she began to groan and eventually cry out in pain, she didn't move herself away though but allowed him to do it as she thrust her head backwards. The physical pain was taking away her burden and she allowed him to search out the nipple with his lips so he could suck forcefully on them and start to bite them. "You're a naughty girl," he cackled dropping his head back to the bed and launching one hand roughly through the crotch less part of the thong, she gasped at his forcefulness as he grabbed hold of her and ran his fingers up and down her vigorously and laughed. "You naughty, naughty girl," he said to her again, "you're going to get what you deserve," he added quickly moving himself from beneath her. He jumped from the bed and she turned over and laid down, "Get back on your knees," he said as he dropped his boxer shorts to reveal his hard erect penis which was pointing up in the air.

She started to slowly turn her body back over onto her front and he grabbed hold of her by the waist pulling her back up onto her hands and knees, with no thought for her own pleasure or comfort he yanked the stringy thong to one side and rammed himself into her making her cry out loud. Once inside he stopped and slapped her bare buttock with his hand, "Hmm, I knew you'd show me a good time," he said as he pulled himself backwards and then quickly thrust himself against her again. With each slam she cried out in a mixture of pleasure and discomfort, she was desperate to lose her woefulness and desperation with another man and she didn't care how it happened. He kept slapping her bottom with each thrust and she revelled in the distraction from her turmoil as he pushed deeper and deeper into her. After a moment he leaned down to grab her breasts which he fondled roughly and used as a grip to pull her body against his. The lust filled man began to groan and moan louder and louder until with one last violent push he shouted out and released himself within her gripping her breasts and squeezing the nipples hard between his thumb and forefinger making Rose gasp. He pushed her away from him after a moment and collapsed on the bed running his fingers through his hair as Rose dropped onto her stomach and looked in the opposite direction from him suddenly feeling ashamed of herself and totally used by this random man she had picked up in a bar.

She felt dirty and used and wanted him to leave and he had obviously thought the same thing now that he had had what he wanted, "I'll show myself out shall I?" he said dragging his shorts back on and running his fingers through his hair.

"Hmm," she replied not even turning her body to see him go out of her room, she waited until she heard the door close before she moved and when she did the tears started to fall down her face unheeded in rivulets. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed for an eternity feeling lost and confused, when Mike had finished with her she had sobered immediately and felt as if she had not touched a drop all night.

She sat and cried for almost an hour before hearing the door to the house open and a drunken Holly stumble in, walking to her door she closed it properly and then walked over to her bathroom where her eyes fell instantly upon the box she had taken her outfit from, the outfit which was one of four that she owned and was still wearing. Looking at herself in the mirror and seeing a completely different girl she hastily ripped off her bra, pants and suspenders tearing the stockings and then discarding the boots all on the bathroom floor. She jumped into the shower and tried to wash away everything, when she thought about Mike touching her it made her skin crawl and she rubbed it vigorously with soap and a sponge trying to erase all the feelings she had about him. She let the water fall onto her face hoping the pounding would push away the emotion she was feeling as she remembered the way Sal had made love to her, softly, gently, lovingly not in a harsh commanding way like Mike had done.

It was half an hour later when she finally turned off the shower feeling that she might finally have washed the man off her skin, looking in the mirror at the limp wet hair, plain face and soft skin of herself she started to see the Rose she had become, the real Rose, the one who had been in love. Sleeping with anyone and everyone would not erase her and she did not want to lose herself now, she wanted to stay as the Rose that Salamander desired. Even if she could not have him anymore he had changed her and even without him she was a new person and the only way to go on with her life was to be that girl. It was the one thing he had left with her when he had gone and she was grateful for it. Glancing down at the basket of provocative clothing she vowed never to be that girl again, she would burn them in the morning and never think about them again, acting that way would not take away her pain forever, it would only make her feel worse and she knew it.

She dragged a comb through her hair and walked into her room naked, the first thing she saw was Salamander's quidditch top and she walked straight over to pick it up, she pulled it over her head and held her body feeling a tiny part of him there with her. She was not ready to move on no matter what anyone said but she was ready to move forward and not stay cooped up in the house anymore and with a deep breath she dropped into the bed and stared out at the wall thinking about Salamander until she drifted into the first peaceful sleep she had had in a while.

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She woke the next morning feeling strangely refreshed and rose before Holly who appeared around midday clutching her head and groaning about the evils of alcohol. Rose was feeling fresh and had already been out in the garden burning the basket of clothing from her bathroom like she had promised herself the night before. "I am never drinking again," Holly groaned dropping into a chair beside her friend who was reading the Sunday edition of the Daily Prophet. "Good night?" she asked waggling her eyebrows at Rose, "he was pretty fit...er...Mike?"

"Enlightening!" she replied quite breezily.

"Enlightening?" Holly asked looking curiously at her room mate.

"Yes," she replied, "I've made some...decisions," she went on, "and I won't be repeating last night again."

"You won't?"

"No," she said firmly, "now I'm off to visit some family, I think it's about time I made a reappearance," she announced determining to stick to her new resolve and try to get over Salamander Longbottom.

"Oh...okay," Holly said in a bemused voice, "I suppose I ought to do the same really, need to visit Mum and get a new lecture on how to live alone! Think I'll leave it until this afternoon though," she groaned, "Mum and hangovers do not mix!"

"Well I'm off now," Rose chuckled knocking her friend's head on her way to the fireplace.

"You're evil!" she cried, "But it's good to have you back, you seem different this morning!"

"I feel different," she replied jumping into the fire, "and I hope it stays!"

"I'll be back late if I go to Mum's," Holly called as she threw the floo powder into the air and Rose nodded before she began to whirl through various fireplaces arriving moments later in her Mother and Father's home.

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Holly was still out when Rose returned from visiting almost every member of the family and was exhausted and ready to collapse in the arm chair. Everyone had made a fuss when she had turned up at their homes as they had barely heard from her in three months, everyone noticed that she looked brighter and no one had mentioned the break up with Salamander at all though she could see their pity for her in their faces. She felt better than she had since Sal had had to leave her and she was suddenly positive about the future even if it was to be without him, she would not be repeating the previous night but if a man showed any interest in her she would pursue it a little and see if it led anywhere well before inviting him back to her home.

She headed into the kitchen to make a cup of cocoa to curl up with while she read through a copy of Witch Weekly that her cousin Lily had given her before she left Grimmauld Place. It was Easter and everyone had been home from school for the holidays so she had seen a lot more of her family than she had originally intended to. While she was stirring the steaming brown liquid she heard the floo whirl and shouted, "You're early Holly, was your Mum that irritating?" Then grabbing the cup and the magazine which she had dropped on the side she walked into the living room half reading the headlines on the front page. _How to make him yours in seven witchy steps, bums tums and magic potions, 'My Mum used a love potion on my girlfriend' _were three of the titles she caught before she stopped stock still in her tracks and stared at the figure standing in front of the fire, "Sal," she whispered almost inaudibly.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Disclaimer notice, none of magical world is mine! Forgot about it earlier! I know there are a few followers to this story and I owuld love to know what you think if oyu fancy dropping a review?**

Chapter 17

He looked afraid, of what she didn't know, but it was all over his face, "Sal what's the matter?" she asked kindly placing the hot mug and glossy magazine down on the coffee table. He continued to stare at her looking more and more worried as every second ticked by, "Are you alright?"

"I...I don't...I...I'm sorry I shouldn't have...have come," he stuttered turning to go back to the fire.

"Wait," she called dashing across the room and grabbing his arm gently, "no...no don't...don't go." He looked like he needed her and no matter what had happened she wanted to be there to comfort him. "Sal, talk to me." He turned around to look at her and she saw pain in his eyes, the same pain which she had been suffering but somehow it seemed deeper.

"I wanted, I needed to...to see you," he whispered as she took hold of his hand and guided him to the sofa where he sat down and she took a seat beside him. "When I saw you yesterday in the Cauldron I felt as if I had hit a brick wall, I knew I had missed you terribly but I realised just how much when I saw you there. I'm sorry about...about Gloria, she was making out as if we were...together and...and we're...we're not...I can't, not until I know..."

"I know," Rose smiled, "you don't need to apologise."

"God you are so understanding, how can you be like that?"

"Because I have to be," she smiled gently rubbing the back of his hand which she was still holding, "so...how are you?" she asked knowing already what the answer was going to be.

"Miserable," he replied, "but I don't want to burden you with that I came here because...because I just needed to see you."

"I said I would always be here for you if you needed me," she said feeling her heart pumping wildly in her chest, she had missed him so much and even though she had come to a decision the previous night she still knew that one look, one word from him and she would crumble into his arms without a second thought.

"James will kill me," he uttered quietly.

"James?" Rose asked, "Why?"

"Because I promised him I wouldn't come, he said it would only make it harder for both of us, and he's right isn't he? Now that I'm here I don't want to go."

"Then don't," she replied practically feeling her heart trying to escape from her chest as it beat madly. She moved her body a little closer to his until their knees touched and she dropped their still joined hands onto her thigh, she heard Sal gasp as he closed his eyes.

"I really should go," he whispered not actually making any attempt to stand up or move, "but I..."

"But you don't want to," she breathed, "and I don't want you to," she continued sliding her hand up to touch his face, he leaned in to the touch and closed his eyes again sighing deeply and feeling his own heart beat wildly.

"I shouldn't," he started, "I can't do this to you, I won't," he whispered kissing her hand and then standing up to leave again, there were tears in his eyes and she jumped to his side grabbing hold of both of his hands and turning him to face her square on.

"Let's ignore can't and won't," she breathed stepping closer to him and placing her face close to his, "listen to want and need, just for tonight, just for a while."

"But," he replied breathing raggedly as a result of her closeness, he longed to hold her, to kiss her and make love to her but he knew it was wrong, he knew that he shouldn't. They gazed deep into each others' eyes at that moment and he knew he needed to tear himself away now while he still had an ounce of strength in him but then Rose pushed herself up on her toes and slowly pushed her lips against his and his own resolve crumbled. Everything crumbled as he gave in to the one thing that he truly wanted and kissed her back gently but passionately sliding his arms around her body and pulling her as close as he could. Her hands wound around his back, over his shoulders and into his messy hair which she began to ruffle as their tongues explored each others' mouths searching for and instantly finding the one thing they had missed for so long. Everything else was forgotten, the outside world, the decisions they had made and the situation that Salamander was in, it had all disappeared, gone away with can't and won't when they had given in to need and want.

Salamander held her in his arms and they gazed at each other as the kiss ended, Salamander was waiting for her to stop him, to remind him about can't and won't but she too was only listening to want and need and she just smiled back at him feeling happy and comfortable wrapped up in his arms. Pulling him tighter against her body she twisted on the spot and apparated them both to her bedroom above where she still would not let him go. "I'm sorry Rose," he whispered when he looked down at her and paused to think about how this would affect them both, but mostly her. However Rose just smiled at him and took hold of his hand again, "You are so beautiful," he uttered breathing in her scent through the top of her head. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked not wanting to push himself on her, it was wrong and he knew it but he also knew to stop now would devastate him almost as much as having to leave her.

"No, but I want it, I need it, and so do you," she replied stroking his face and looking into his eyes, "It may not make things easier but right now, right here, I don't care. I want to be loved," she added having a flashback to the raw animal sex she had experienced the night before, the one which had made her feel cheap and dirty. She needed Sal to love her and show her real sex, real love making "And so do you," she added knowing just how much more miserable he was, she could give him this and it would make her just as happy, for a while.

"I don't want to hurt you any more," he whispered.

"I know but..." she returned leaning up to kiss him again and with that delicate touch any slight will power he had had left flew out of the window as he crushed her against him and kissed her back with longing and passion. Breathing deeply Rose pulled herself away then, pulling her wand from her pocket, she cast muffliato against the door so Holly would not hear them when she came home. With three quick sparks she ignited candles on her bedside table and chest of drawers which cast a soft glow over the room.

"Shhh," she whispered seeing Salamander about to open his mouth and protest one last time, then still with her wand in her hand she smiled shyly and directed it at the buttons on his shirt which she unfastened slowly with a quick flick of her wrist while still standing at the other side of the room. He looked at her with a bemused expression having never experienced magical undressing before and she smiled coyly back at him, she directed the shirt over his shoulders and he lifted his arms so it came off completely and fell to the floor in a heap. She walked towards him then and sat down on the bed beckoning for him to join her. He did so and then moaned at her delicate touch as she began to kiss his shoulders, his chest and his stomach. He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her but she pushed them back and sat above him looking down for a moment before slowly removing the blouse and bra which she wore revealing her white breasts and erect nipples, he gasped at the sight of them and then frowned as he noticed a red weald on one of them.

"What's that?" he asked softly running his fingers across it.

"N...nothing," she replied not wanting to spoil the moment by confessing to what she had done the previous night, "I...I fell getting out of the shower and landed awkwardly."

"My Darling," he whispered leaning up to gently kiss the red mark, it felt soft and tender, a complete contrast to how it had been made and she yearned to feel him kiss her whole body.

He did just that a moment later pushing her over onto her back and kissing her soft flesh from neck to belly button slowly and sensuously and she leaned in to every one. After a minute or two he stopped and looked up at the happy and comfortable face of Rose who opened her eyes to see what was wrong, "Are you really sure about this?" he asked giving her one last opportunity to walk away. "I don't want us to regret it in the morning."

"It's better to regret the things you did do than the things you didn't," she answered and then gently pulled his head up so she could kiss him longingly showing through her action that they could not stop now. She stroked his bare back as she continued the kiss and moved her hands to unfasten his trousers and release him then he stood up and removed them looking down on Rose's smiling form. She removed the rest of her clothes until she was completely naked too and he gasped as he remembered how beautiful she was. Positioning himself carefully between her legs Salamander slowly pushed himself into her listening as she breathed out quietly and stared into his eyes, he stroked the hair back from her face and started to kiss her eyes, her cheeks and her lips without moving himself. He wanted to just be as one with her for a moment and it was a few minutes before he started to move himself back and forth, it was slow and easy and to Rose completely different to the rawness of last night and she knew it was because he loved her. They twisted their limbs around each other and rolled across the bed as they made love, giggling a little when they almost fell off the edge. Salamander picked up his wand from the floor where it had rolled out of his trousers and stopped moving for a moment as he cast a bubble charm which encased them in a large, opaque ball which let the romantic light filter through but would protect them if they fell.

Rose smiled in awe as he whispered, "Now we are the only two people in our little world," and smiled as he thought about how much he wished they could be the only two people in the world. The inside of the bubble was swirling with oily rainbow patterns and for a moment Rose just stared at it until Salamander began to move again, slowly in and out and once more they rolled over and over kissing one another and moaning softly as they shared the ultimate intimate act until they were both sated. Rose felt Salamander straighten up and then relax as he stopped moving within her but continued to gaze into her eyes penetrating them with his own and brushing the stray hairs back from her face.

He continued to softly kiss her face and she smiled at him, she could see he was starting to feel guilty already and she desperately wanted to show him that he had nothing to feel bad about. "Don't do this Sal, don't feel bad, please," she whispered stroking his face gently, "let's just be together and enjoy it even though we both know it won't last." He smiled at her understanding once more and tried to change his face to please her even though he was cut up inside for going through with this. As if it was mirroring their life the bubble then burst just like the magic which had now gone from their moment of love. Moving onto his side he cradled her in his arms and they lay for hours just holding one another and enjoying being so close even for a brief time.

"Is it really bad?" Rose asked tentatively breaking the eternal silence of the room.

"Awful," Sal croaked in reply stroking her shoulder and turning to look into her face, "I can't...be with her I don't want to be with her at all, even if the baby is mine. She tries so hard to...seduce me but all I see is a desperate girl trying anything to get what she wants, when we're out in public she clings onto me like a limpet even though when we were together she would never do anything of the sort, it's like she wants to show the world that we are together when we aren't."

"Not the world Sal, me," Rose replied lifting a finger up and running it down his face, "she wants to show me that you are together, she wants to hurt me like she thinks I hurt her. That's what it's all about."

"She's so horrible," he continued, "she's a cow and she expects me to be her lover and her husband, how can I be that to a woman who would try to hurt you so much, why does she need to do that?"

"Because she knows that you still love me and that I love you and no matter what she does now or has done in the past she clearly loves you why else would she want you back?"

"I can't ever love her and I've told her that, if we have to...to...marry then it will be for name and circumstance only, I cannot be a true husband to her, it will be miserable for us both but I will hide that from the child for their sake."

"Sal," she crooned running her finger down his neck and to the hair in the centre of his chest which she began to twiddle absentmindedly, she felt desperately sorry for him and wished she could do something to make his life better.

"I'm sorry for coming Rose, this is only going to make it harder, I don't want to leave you again it was bad enough the first time."

"Then come back," she whispered.

"I can't, you know I can't," he whispered gently, "I have to stay with...her."

"I know," she replied, "but I don't mean like that, I mean come back to me, as a lover."

"No," he said vehemently sitting up straight and pulling her with him, he pulled his head back to look into her face before continuing in a softer tone, "no Rose, I won't make you a...a mistress," he almost spat the word. "I won't do that to you, that's what Chris wanted from you and I won't stoop so low, I was wrong to come here tonight to put that thought into your head. I want to but I can't Rose, you deserve better than that."

"I don't want better Sal, I want you."

"I know," he sighed, "that's why I shouldn't be here, I've given you false hope when there is none, why have I done this to you?"

"Don't blame yourself Sal, you tried to leave and I wouldn't let you, I wanted this and I will always want it and if you need it too then I'll be here, no questions, no demands just here for you because I love you." He pulled her into his arms then and held her close to him knowing that it would be the last time that he did. No matter how hard it was not to and no matter how much he wanted to Salamander would never come here again. He would not make Rose a mistress, a common whore because she was too good for that, he vowed to listen to the can't and the won't and never give in to his need again because she was the one who would suffer in the long run. He would stay for the night knowing that they had this last precious gift of each other and then he would leave never to darken her door again with his pain and misery.

They clung to one another all night as they slept and woke early before the sun had even risen, without a word they made love again slowly and quietly relishing every second. When it was over he held her for a while stroking her hair and kissing her forehead but when the sun began to shine through her bedroom curtains he rose from the bed and dressed quietly. Neither of them had spoken a word but neither of them needed to, it had been a night of happiness and need made bittersweet by the knowledge that it would end. When he was fully clothed he walked back to the bed and sat down beside her, he leaned in for another longing passionate kiss and then he held her face in his hands as he gazed deep into her eyes and whispered, "I will not come back my love, I will not make you a whore. Last night was wonderful, more wonderful than it ever was but it was wrong, I was wrong to give in and I must find the strength not to do it again. I'm sorry," he finished giving her one more wistful kiss before walking away from her and out of the bedroom door.

Rose sagged against the headboard, it had been wonderful and perhaps it would make being apart even harder but she would never wish that it had not happened, he had been sensual and loving and reminded her what she liked and what she was like. She would stick to her resolve and stay as the new Rose, the real Rose, the one he had made her into and she would move forward with her life hoping that one day he might come to her, might seek out a night of love and passion. The future he was facing was bleak and unhappy and no matter what the cost to her own feelings and emotions she wanted to show him scraps of love even if she could not give it to him constantly.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The weeks passed into months for Rose and she stuck to her plan of carrying on with her life, she still missed Sal terribly but did not regret for one moment the night of tender passion they had spent together and she knew life would not get any easier sitting around like a mourning widow in the house. She started to attend the weekly Weasley family feast again and everyone commented on how much brighter she seemed, neither she nor Salamander had told anyone about the night they spent together so there were no comments or bits of advice from James or anyone else. Sal had left before Holly got up that morning and nobody was the wiser. Dominique and Holly were thrilled when Rose started suggesting they go out at the weekends to the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks and they noticed as the weeks passed that she was becoming more and more relaxed and happy. She thought about the night she had taken Mike home and used it as a reminder of hitting rock bottom, she had vowed that night never to do anything of the sort again and she politely refused any male attention while they were out (and steered clear of firewhiskey.) At first the girls tried to encourage her to talk to other men but eventually they came to realise that throwing her at another man would not help her get over Salamander, she would move on when she was good and ready.

Rose knew she would never stop loving Salamander and she secretly waited for him to visit her again knowing she would give him whatever he needed whether it made life harder or not. When he had flatly refused to make her his mistress she had completely understood, he was a noble man and she knew he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt but she still knew she would do it for him. His future was bleak and it upset her to think of him living in a loveless and sexless marriage for the rest of his life, that thought would push her to give him that love and sex even if it was from afar and in secret and would stop her from having a loving family life of her own. However deep inside she knew it would never come to that, he had been adamant and she knew that the same love she had for him that would make her do it would be the same love he had for her which would make him not. When she was in the house alone she would try to send him a silent prayer, a note to say she was alone and he could visit but he never came, in fact she did not see him until almost three months after they had slept together when she called in to see Consuella at her parents house. He and Gloria were visiting when she knocked on the door and Salamander opened it, "Hi," he had said with a ghostly face as he let her into the kitchen.

"Hi," she had replied brightly feeling her stomach dip then her face had dropped a little when she had seen the misery in his eyes. "How are you?" she asked already knowing the real answer but he nodded his head politely and told her that he was fine. Gloria had walked up behind them at that moment and glared menacingly at Rose who had simply ignored her and said, "Hi, Gloria and how are you?" The girl had been shocked to hear Rose being so polite and had muttered a quick reply before grabbing hold of Sal's arm and announcing that they were leaving. She had said goodbye and watched as Sal flooed out through the kitchen fire giving her a wistful look, she had smiled supportively at him as he disappeared and then let her face fall. Rose was determined not to burden him with her own unhappiness as he had much more to deal with than she did, he knew she was upset and always would be but she could hide it behind a mask for him to stop him feeling guilty every time he saw her.

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For Salamander the weeks and months dragged by, he regretted every day having slept with Rose again, not because it hadn't been wonderful and sensual but because he knew it had been the wrong thing to do. He still thought about her every night when he was alone on the sofa or in James' room where he spent most nights, her soft skin, her loving warmth and the way they had made love in an almost magical way. The atmosphere in the flat was tense at the best of times and Salamander couldn't blame his room mate for spending more and more time away with Annemarie. Gloria was hard work and constantly trying to get him into her bed, she grumbled about being lonely at night and needing him to rub her aching back but he flatly refused. As her stomach had swollen more and more she had at least given up her pathetic attempts to seduce him which had begun in earnest the moment he had suggested she move into his room. She had worn skimpy underwear and suspenders to try and lure him but none of it had had any affect on Sal, in most cases it had had the opposite affect and repulsed him.

He had to fight with his own emotions every night to stop himself from going to visit Rose, when she had suggested that he come and go as he wanted he had been adamant that he would not make her a mistress like her ex had wanted her to be. However when he was alone at night thinking about his bleak future he longed to be with her and make love to her again and he had to force himself to stay where he was and leave her be. When he had opened the door to her at his parent's house his first instinct had been to sweep her up and kiss her but he had simply let her into the house and whispered a feeble hello. She had seemed bright and breezy but he knew it was a mask she put on for him, he had seen the real pain and longing in her eyes when he had briefly stared into them before Gloria had once again interrupted and spoilt another moment with her. She had clung to him like a limpet again and announced that they were leaving even though they had barely been around for ten minutes. He had been impressed by the way Rose had treated Gloria, unlike the latter, who was petty and took any opportunity to rub it in her face. Rose was always gracious and polite and it only made him love and miss her more, she would never try to make another person miserable even if that person was her foe.

He had come to resent Gloria completely not just for ruining his relationship with Rose but also for messing up his whole life. He felt terrible when he sometimes hoped that the child would not be his and he knew that if it did turn out to be his he would feel guilty forever but he couldn't help it, he hated her and the thought of spending his life with her was almost more than he could bare. There would be no more children as he would not be able to bring himself to do anything with her even if that meant he was unsatisfied sexually too but he would try his hardest to make sure the child was loved and had a happy life even if its parents were not going to be happy.

He was constantly barraged by Gloria's parents who did not understand why he would not marry her before the baby was born but she was too scared to admit to them that he might not be the father so she had told them he didn't want to get married until then. Thus every time they visited they asked him why and made huffing noises when he told them he would marry her when the baby had arrived. Sal actually didn't care what they thought about him, there was little he did care about now except for his possible child. On occasion he would think about being the father and imagine what it would be like to love and care for another human being, he knew he was young and part of him resented that it might be happening to him so young but he also knew that a child would be the centre of his world and offer him a small piece of happiness in an otherwise miserable life. When it came to the baby and its welfare he did everything he could for Gloria, bringing her what she needed, taking her shopping for its things and though he was loathe to put his hands on the woman when the baby had started kicking he had reached out gingerly to feel and felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. It wasn't love, he knew he could not allow himself to love the child until he knew it was his for sure, but it was an emotion which made him realised properly that it was a real person growing inside of her.

A month before the baby was due Gloria had turned into a complete nightmare, James was around less and less even though he wanted to support his friend who was slowly losing himself as he contemplated more and more the prospect of this miserable existence forever. They were due to go for another check at St Mungos, the last one before her due date which was the twelfth of September, the checks had taken place every month from her third month on the twelfth and Salamander had attended every one so far aside from the one where she had discovered she was pregnant. They had entailed a wand check spell carried out by one of the healers which could detect any abnormalities or problems within the womb. Then Gloria would have a private check in another room where the healer would check her cervix, so far Sal had refused to go in with her and she had seemed quite glad about it.

Today Salamander decided he would go into the room with her so he could ask the healer about the procedure for checking the paternity of the baby after it had been born, she had told him that it wasn't possible until then and he had waited until the last check up to ask about having it done. So after the healer had done the wand test and confirmed that everything was fine she asked them both if they would like to step into the private room where Gloria's examination was carried out. This was when Sal usually waited in the first room until she had finished but today he stood up and walked behind her to the door. "What are you doing?" she asked looking at him with wide eyes.

"I want to speak to the healer when she is finished," he explained matter of factly.

"But...but," she said nervously.

"Don't worry I'm not going to watch whatever she does I just want to ask her about the paternity test," he went on as he stepped in behind her and closed the door.

"The paternity test?" the healer asked curiously looking from him to Gloria who was backing up to the bed and sitting down as if her legs would not carry her anymore, "Is there some chance that you might not be the father?"

"No," Gloria blustered sounding panicked.

"Yes there is," Salamander announced quite angrily sick of Gloria being so adamant that the baby was his. During her first examination without him the healer had performed the wand date spell which had placed the baby's conception on a day when they had slept together. And Gloria swore that the day he had found her in bed with someone else was the first and only time she had been with another man, even since then.

"The...the wand date test shows that it is, Salamander," she stuttered, "w...we don't r...really need the...the other test."

"Well the wand date test is usually extremely accurate give or take a day or two as that is what sets your due date but if there is some confusion about the paternity."

"There isn't," Gloria shrieked highly squirming on the bed where she sat, her eyes had flown wide again and he could only assume that she was embarrassed about the fact that there was a chance it was not his child.

"There is a chance Healer Jones," Salamander interjected ignoring her groans, the test would have to be done whether she liked it or not and she knew that, "that I may not be the father. Gloria knows that and until we are sure I will not agree to marry her," at almost every word Gloria groaned but Sal did not care about her discomfort. "I came in here today to ask about the test as I want it carried out as soon as possible when the baby is born. Will that be a problem?"

"When the baby is born?" the healer asked curiously, "but you don't need to wait until the baby is born," she added and Salamander rounded on Gloria.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Thanks to "Funeral of a Friend" for all the reviews and the comments about my writing! (Am an teacher and have to teach writing a lot so picking up myself when I'm teaching kids!) Hope the suspense was enough! So how angry is Sal going to be??!!**

Chapter 19

"Surely that was explained to you at your first examination Miss White when you are given all the information on possible tests, the paternity test is in the testing handbook that is given out. A paternity test can be carried out at sixteen weeks, it's new and is a muggle test but it is included in the book," the healer explained.

Gloria looked as if she was shrinking under Salamander's gaze and he could tell that she already knew that, she had been lying to him about it all this time. "You knew this?" he shouted but she refused to answer. "You knew that we could have had the test months ago? And you let me go on with this...this charade?"

"I...I..."

"Maybe I should give you some privacy," the healer said backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"What were you thinking?" Sal screamed at her. He felt blood pumping around his body and his heart beat wildly, his head pounded and he didn't think he had ever felt as mad in his life, even when he had found her in bed with someone else. "Why would you wait for this? Especially with your parents breathing down our necks about getting married, we could have found out months ago and known exactly where we stood. I just can't believe you." He started to wring his hands and walked to the window of the room. "It's...it's...it's not mine is it?" he said slowly turning to look at her again as realisation took over his shock and anger, "You know it's not mine, otherwise you would have had the test."

"No...no," Gloria began to plead, tears pricking her eyes but Sal saw none of it, he was too angry to fall for weeping, "it is yours I swear it's yours, even if the wand date is out a few days it couldn't be anyone else's," she went on. "The twelfth was way before I..." she hated to even mention that she had slept with someone else. "I swear to you Salamander that it is your child and...and I thought...I knew that we didn't really need the test I...I was hoping that we would never have to do it I…I hoped that...that you-"

"That I would fall in love with you again before the baby even came and that I would be so happy I would not even remember what you did to me. That is what you were hoping for."

"N...n...no," she whispered.

"Yes Gloria, I know you, you are a conniving girl who will do whatever she wants to get her way, you are as worried that the baby might not be mine as I am that it will, you are too scared to find out because in your heart you know it is not mine and that you will end up alone."

"That's not true Sal," she said wiping her tears and turning angry herself now, the crying was not working and she was now returning to her usual self, "it is your child, I know it, and you know it."

"So why not prove it once and for all?" he challenged.

"Because I don't need to."

"Well I do!" he screeched back at her, "I want the test done today."

"No," she replied adamantly, "you cannot do it without my consent."

"Then you can leave the flat," he shot back at her and her jaw dropped.

"You...you...you can't do that."

"I can and I will, I told you Gloria I am not marrying you until I know for certain that the baby is mine and I mean real proof not your own feeling."

"But...but..."

"That is the choice Gloria, you take the test today or you leave today, you decide."

"But you'll regret it, when you realise the baby is yours then you'll feel guilty for abandoning it so close to the birth," she whined playing on his vulnerable noble side.

"Then it will be one more terrible thing I will learn to live with," he replied not caring now he knew she had lied to him. He knew there was still every chance that the child was his but he had also seen a glimmer of hope that it might not be, Gloria really was nervous about the test and he suspected it was because she had lied about sleeping with other men.

"But...but it's...it's a muggle test," she squeaked quietly, "they...they inject you...with a...a needle. You know like you would sew with? I'm not letting them stick a needle into me," she said quite adamantly.

"Well I am," he retorted walking over to the door and signalling to the healer that she could come back in. The middle aged woman sidled in looking embarrassed and walked over to Gloria. "How soon can a paternity test be carried out?" he asked her as she glanced from one to the other.

"It can be taken today," she replied, "and the results will be ready in four weeks. We have to send the blood off to a muggle laboratory where they see if the samples match."

"Well," Gloria interrupted, "if it's four weeks we may as well wait until it is born, you probably won't get results back before then."

"But-" the healer interrupted.

"Will you?" she asked loudly above the healer's voice fixing an angry glare on the woman.

"Well..."

"Four weeks?" Salamander said and the healer nodded her head looking confused.

"See, just wait Sal, we'll have to anyway." He glared at her warily still annoyed that she had lied to him, he would have done anything to find out the truth as soon as possible but he wasn't that enamoured about being poked with a sewing needle, if they would not find out until around the due date anyway he might as well wait and save himself the unpleasantness of the needles. He nodded his head and turned away not noticing the look which crossed Gloria's face, it was one of relief, she was hoping that once he saw the baby and held it in his arms he would know instinctively that it was his child and they would not need to do the test at all. Sleeping with Andrew had been the biggest mistake of her life, she had been young when her and Salamander had begun to date and thought she might have missed out on something but as soon as he had gone she'd known what she had lost and she was desperate now to be one big happy family with him. She knew he was finding it hard to forgive her but was convinced that the child would make all the difference, she just needed to find a way to stop him from wanting the paternity test, at least now she had another month to wait.

"So what are the arrangements for taking the test when the baby is born?" Sal asked turning back to look at Gloria and her healer.

"Well, we need to perform a blood reaction spell on your blood and Miss White's," she began to explain, "then we do the same with the baby's blood and if the baby is yours then it will have the same reaction. W...we can perform the first part today if you'd like," she said quietly eying Gloria carefully.

"You can?" Salamander asked as Gloria's face turned sour again.

"Yes, we can take your blood and mix it together here and see the reaction, then when the baby is born we can look for the same reaction."

"Then We'll do it," he said ignoring Gloria's attempt to protest, "that way the second test can be done immediately when the baby is born."

"Very well," Healer Jean said turning to retrieve some instruments from a cupboard on the wall. "If I can just take a prick from your fingers," she went on looking at Salamander and then Gloria, he put his hand out towards her but Gloria fixed a deathly stare on the woman holding a long pointed wand in her hand. She went to Sal first and pricked the end of his finger, he winced a little but didn't utter a sound as she squeezed a droplet of blood and placed it into small stone basin. She then approached Gloria cautiously but one look from Salamander told her she had to do it and she reluctantly held out her hand to the healer who did the same thing to her. She moaned at the little prick but did not utter another word either as she watched the healer place the blood in the same bowl as Salamander's. The slightly nervous woman then took her own wand out of her pocket and started to move it in a slow circle over the bowl, after three rotations she uttered quietly, "Sanguine reacto," and then pointed her wand into the bowl, a small spark left the end of it which hit the combination of blood contained inside it.

Though she had been reluctant to take the test Gloria's curiosity still got the better of her and she could not take her eyes from the bowl as a small billowing mass of black gas, which looked like thick smoke from a fire, puffed out of the bowl sending alternate sparks from the middle of it all of which fizzed and cracked noisily. Each crack made Sal cringe as he watched the foul reaction to the combination of blood. After a few moments the reaction stopped like a finished firework and the healer turned to look at them both with a small grimace. She had not performed this test many times, even through her nineteen year career as a healer, but the few she had carried out had produced much nicer results, this was the worst reaction she had ever seen.

Salamander left before Gloria's internal examination without a word to her, he flooed out to the grassy area by the river near his parent's home and took refuge on the carved loveseat made by his maternal grandmother many years before. He sat and looked out at the fast flowing water as it tumbled over rocks and stones built up in the river, he remembered the times he used to spend down here with the Weasleys and Potters when he had been a child and it brought a momentary smile to his face. Life had been so much easier then when they were young and had had no worries. The Longbottom's had little family, Salamander's father, an only child, had been brought up by his grandmother after his own parents had been tortured into insanity and there were no other Longbottoms at all. On his mother's side there was his Grandfather, Xenophilius Lovegood but his mother had also been an only child and lost her mother at a young age so Salamander and Consuella had had no cousins of their own to play with. However the vast Weasley family, two of which had been good friends of his mother and father's in their Hogwarts days, had encompassed them into their extensive family and treated them as one of their own which meant that Sal and his sister had always had other children their own age to play with when growing up.

It was summertime now and further up the river he could hear some of the younger Weasley's playing, there weren't many under the age of seventeen now and a new generation were on their way now that Victoire had given birth to a son, Remus, who was named for his paternal grandfather. Though Teddy and Victoire were the only ones in his generation to be married the Potters were all happily ensconced with a partner and he supposed in a months time he would probably be joining the ranks of husband and father too. Or possibly not, he thought to himself as his eyebrows knitted and he remembered the events of the day. How could Gloria not have told him that they could have found out if the baby was his? Did she think it wasn't and was trying to punish him in some way? Or did she think that when the baby came he would fall in love with it instantly and forget any possibility of it not being his? That thought scared him more than the child really being his, after watching her go through pregnancy, seeing pictures taken with a special camera hovered over Gloria's stomach which showed the baby moving around in the womb and feeling the life inside kicking at her stomach he had started to feel a slight connection to it. He had marvelled at the technology which showed the tiny life form curled up in a fetal position occasionally kicking out one of its limbs and it had really brought home to him that the child was a living and almost breathing thing. These special pictures had brought a tiny tear to his eye, something which had not gone unnoticed by Gloria and it terrified him to think he might already be forming a bond with the baby that could well turn out not to be his contrary to its mother's affirmations.

"Hello Salamander," said a soft sweet voice behind him which made him melt.

"Rose," he gasped quietly turning around to see her beautiful pale face looking at him brightly, "how...how are you?"

"Good," she replied smiling, "I'm just down here visiting everyone," she explained, "Molly and Lucy are up in the river enjoying the last few weeks of the school holidays, I think Fred's up there annoying them too," she chuckled as they both heard a high pitched scream from up river. "I decided to come down and visit Consuella for an hour, well if she's at home."

"Oh, I...I don't know if she is or not, I haven't been to the house, I came straight here...to think," he explained turning back to look at the water, at her presence he had momentarily forgotten what he had come down to think about but at his words the anger had flooded back into his head and he had needed to turn away to stop her from seeing it.

"Is everything alright?" she asked sensing that it was not, she was pleased to see him, but not pleased to see how he frowned.

"Not...not really," he returned.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly taking a few more steps closer to the loveseat and putting her hand on the back of it.

"I...no, I shouldn't," he didn't want to burden Rose with his problems anymore, she had gone through enough because of him.

"Sal, I promised I would be here for you if you needed me, for anything," she whispered softly walking around the loveseat and sitting down beside him, "you can just talk to me." He looked at her in amazement, how could she be so understanding? How could she still be there for him after everything that had happened? She reached out to cover his hand then and repeated, "Talk to me."

He almost broke down in tears at her gentle touch, so far he had only felt anger, anger that Gloria had kept it from him, but suddenly he was starting to realise everything he had lost once more, if they had had the test sooner they would have known for sure and if at least been out of this limbo. As she saw the sorrowful look replace the angry one on his face she stroked his hand gently with her thumb and looked at him, she longed to kiss away that look but knew she shouldn't do it, it would only make him feel guilty. "She lied to me," he eventually said barely audibly.

"The...the baby's not...not yours?" she asked tentatively afraid of his reaction to the news, would he be relieved or after all this time would he be upset?

"I...I don't know but...but there's a test, a muggle one which could have been done months ago, its new which is probably why Mum won't know about it but Gloria did, she knew we could have done it months ago," his anger burst back into his statement and he started to breathe deeply.

"But why wouldn't she-"

"Because she's a bitch," he shouted wrenching his hand from hers and standing up, "because she thought we would be back together by now and I would be so in love with the child when it was born that I would forget about wanting the test and we could all live happily ever after." His anger was coming out now, his voice was loud and he started pacing up and down the side of the river. "All this time we could have known but she refused to tell me, she doesn't want us to have the test at all, she's too afraid to face the fact that it might not be mine even though she's adamant that it is." He was yelling now, standing out facing the river and yelling at the water, part of him had forgotten that Rose was even there and his tirade just flowed. "This miserable existence she's had us living has all been for nothing, when the healer told us that Gloria knew about it I could have strangled her, I was so angry that she had made us live like we have for so long, even James has practically moved out because the atmosphere is so bad. I can't abide her, I hate her and the only thing that keeps me going is the possibility that the child could be mine but we could have known for sure months ago we could have made the best of the situation then without all this wondering. Merlin I'm so angry," he yelled, so loudly that birds in the trees nearby scattered to the skies and Rose winced a little, she had never seen him so mad. "Argh," Sal added at the end of his rant before suddenly plunging a balled up fist into the bark of the nearest tree, Rose continued to watch in shock as he pulled it back and she saw blood raining down the fist which he just stared at in disbelief.

"Sal, what have you done?" she whimpered jumping up from the seat and running over to him, she tentatively reached out a hand to his blood stained one and held onto it from underneath, "You're bleeding, this must hurt."

"I don't care," he spat still in a furious voice, "I don't care anymore, I can't even feel it, my body is numb to all everything except for misery and despair, it's all I ever feel." His voice was harsh, even with her and she was shocked even though she understood his pain. However it pained her to realise just how unhappy he was, she may have been sad and lonely without him but she still had a supportive network of friends and family who were there to make the rest of her life happy. Although Sal had the same supportive network he still could not escape from the miserable life he had to live.

"Don't talk like that," she whispered conjuring a soft wet cloth with her wand which she began to dab gently against his bleeding hand, "you do care Sal, otherwise you wouldn't feel so angry." Taking him by the hand she led him back to the seat and made him sit down as she cleaned around his wounds until they were open to her. "You have to care, there is a child to think of," she went on tentatively and she saw his body relax completely as he gazed up at her.

"I only care about you," he whispered suddenly seeing the beautiful caring woman who was tending his now throbbing hand. He looked down at it as he began to feel the pain and watched as she painstakingly cleaned the blood from around the wounds, siphoning it off with her wand and discarding it on the seat beside them, all the time being careful not to touch them and cause him more discomfort. She had a look of pure concentration on her face and as he watched her his anger melted away and was replaced by that loving feeling that he only ever had when he was near her. She looked up at him and smiled at the comment then she whispered a spell over his hand which made the wounds close, it felt as if she was blowing on them softly and he started to feel relaxed and instantly felt some relief from the pain in his hand and in his heart. He closed his eyes and waited until the sensation was gone and when he opened them to look down he saw that his wounds were still sore and red but not open or bleeding any more.

"There," she said softly still holding the hand in her own, "I've never been very good at healing but at least they are closed up now, maybe your Mum could sort them out if you go back to the house?" she suggested but he didn't want her to, Rose had tended him and that was all he needed.

He longed for her to attend to his emotional needs but knew he could not do that to her again so instead he withdrew his hand ever so slowly from her soft touch and whispered, "Thank you," as he stood up. "I should...I should go," he went on, "I'm...I'm sorry Rose," now that his anger had abated he had realised that once again he had piled his pain onto this vulnerable young girl who he was desperately trying to spare.

"Stop apologising Sal," she replied, "I've told you over and over again, I am here for you, in whatever way you want me to be. Just sit and talk to me," she added patting the seat beside her and he sat back down. "Why can't you do the test now?"

"It takes four weeks to get the results because they are sent off to a muggle place and processed like muggle tests, she's...due in four weeks so there was little point in doing it now. W...we did the first part of the other test though," he explained.

"Oh?" she asked, "H-how...how do you do it?" she asked curiously. Paternity tests in the wizarding world were not a common occurrence and usually only the midwife healers knew how to do them, she knew they existed but her Aunt Ginny and Sal's mother did not know how to do them.

"She took our blood and...mixed it in a bowl, then she did a spell over the top and we watched the reaction."

"Oh."

"Apparently the baby's blood will have the same reaction."

"What...what was the reaction?" she asked looking up at him through huge eyes.

"It was...horrible," he continued as he explained carefully the spell which the healer had performed and then the billowing black gas and the fizzing sparks which had followed it. "It looked so foul and...wrong," he concluded looking down at his hands and realising that it was a perfect reaction to the woman he was starting to loathe with a passion. He stared out at the river and neither of them spoke for a moment but then at the sound of a small gasp Sal turned to look at Rose who was wiping her finger across the place where she had dropped his blood when she had tended his wounds. When she lifted up her hand he saw that there was fresh blood on top of it and he looked at her curiously. She didn't say a word but he watched as she began to circle her wand over the mixture of blood and he realised what she was about to do. He wanted to stop her, knowing it might make their heartache worse, but he too was curious to see what kind of reaction they would have had.

However as he finally opened his mouth to say stop, Rose pointed her wand at the blood and whispered, "Sanguine reacto." Salamander watched in awe as two single bright silver sparks began to rise from the loveseat like slow fireworks which twisted around each other leaving bright gold trails of wispy smoke behind which seemed to be neither gas nor liquid. They spiralled closer and closer together until they met about four inches from the seat and erupted like a firework showering bright but soft coloured sparks which landed on the seat and then died out.

The reaction had been the complete opposite of Salamander and Gloria's, it was magical and beautiful and neither of them could speak for a moment. They slowly looked up into each others' eyes and he could see that Rose's were glistening, he wanted to comfort her but he forced himself to stay strong and leave her alone. Really he wanted to do nothing more than whisk her up in his arms, take her into the woods across the river and encase them both in a magic bubble but he couldn't. This time he had to listen to can't and won't even though the look in her eyes told him that she wanted it too. Knowing the inner turmoil he was experiencing she reached out to take his hand and whispered, "Just walk with me," as she pointed in the direction of his childhood home. He nodded but did not speak as he felt his body melt to her touch and they stood up and began to tread a path to the house walking hand in hand in complete silence.

They reached the house but neither one let go of the other as they walked up the steps and tried the door, it was locked so Salamander withdrew his wand and opened it with a wordless spell. He opened the door for her still clinging to the one small bit of life and feeling that he held in his hand and then stepped over the threshold. "Hello?" he called loudly, "Mum? Dad? Consuella?" Nobody answered and reluctantly relinquishing the tender touch he started to wonder around the house checking each room in turn until he got back to the kitchen. He looked over at Rose who was leaning over the sink gazing out of the window, she was almost angelic to him and as he watched she slowly turned her head to smile at him, "We're alone," he whispered and she nodded her head.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Thanks again for my reviews! And feel free to write more!! There may be a revelation at the end of this chapter!**

Chapter 20

They stood still and stared at each other for a few minutes before moving forwards with tiny steps, they both knew it was wrong but they both ignored that as with short rasping breaths they met in the middle of the room and stared into each others' faces. They had both decided out at the river that they couldn't do this again but now that they were inside the house and knew they were alone there was little that would stop them. Rose reached out first to take his hand in hers again, she was the least reluctant to do anything as she just wanted to make him happy even if it was only for a short time, her own feelings did not matter to her only his were important now. The reaction of their blood had shown her that they had been meant to be, that she was the person he should have been with even though it could not happen and all she wanted now was to make him happy whenever she could. She leaned up to kiss him knowing that he was hesitant but wanting to show him that it didn't matter and he allowed her to do it kissing her back with vigour and feeling again that warm loving sensation he got when he was with her the one which took over his willpower and enfolded her in his arms. They stood as they were wrapped up in each other for a few moments enjoying the frantic and forbidden kiss. Until then Salamander had been so adamant that this would not happen again which was why he had not sought her out but to stumble on each other by chance like this had thrown his resolve out of sync and though his head kept shouting at him to stop his heart remembered that beautiful spell and was begging for him to continue.

"Neville?" shouted a voice somewhere and a harsh rapping noise made the two lovebirds spring apart as if they had touched something forbidden. "Neville, Luna are you in?" the voice called again as the person hammered on the kitchen door once more. Rose and Salamander, both breathing raggedly, just stared at each other for a moment as they registered what had interrupted them then the latter lunged for the door leaving her to wonder aimlessly around the room and look as if she had just called in.

"Hey Uncle Ron," she heard Salamander say as he opened the back door. Salamander and Consuella had always called her father and Uncle Harry, uncle, even though they were not really related, Neville had been good friends with them in school and they had insisted that their children call them uncle and their wives aunts.

"Salamander," he said sounding surprised to see him there, "how are you? Is your Dad in?" he asked peering around the doorway. Upon realising that it was her father Rose had disappeared from sight knowing he would not approve of her being alone with him after what they had been through and if her mother found out then there would be hell to pay.

"No...there's...there's no one at home," he replied holding the door so he could not see too far into the kitchen, "I...I just called in but I'm off now, maybe you could try again later?"

"Yeah I'll do that," he said turning to go as Salamander placed his injured hand on the door to close it, "Merlin," he wailed turning back to look at it, "what the hell did you do there?"

Realising what he was talking about Sal quickly removed his hand from view but it was too late, "This," he said holding it up knowing that hiding it would make things more suspicious, "I caught it this morning in the front door on our way out to St Mungos, running late!" he chuckled trying to look convincing. "Why I called here actually, thought I'd get Mum to treat it, the wait at the hospital was ridiculous and it's not much really."

"It looks enough," Ron replied wincing a little, he had suffered a fair few scrapes when he was younger and had always tried to put on a brave face despite the pain, "though it looks as if she's already had a go, are you sure your Mum's not here?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I mean yes I'm sure, she's not here, Gloria did a number on it after her exam," he explained quickly, "but she's not really one for healing which is why I came here but like I said I've had a wasted journey so..." he smiled at his 'uncle' who was beginning to annoy him a little now.

"Well Ginny's up at the Burrow with Lily if you wanted to pop up there, I'm sure she'd sort it out for you," he continued still eying him warily. Something didn't add up but there was little he could do about it, Salamander was an adult now and Ron could not push his weight on him anymore if he was doing something fishy.

"I...I might do that Uncle Ron, I'll just lock up the house."

"Fancy walking back?" he asked.

"No," he said quite forcefully and Ron glared suspiciously again, "I mean no it's alright I'll floo over in a bit, I wanted to gather a few bits from here to take back for Gloria...M...Mum's been out shopping for her and...and you know what she's like, it's all over the place!" he laughed a little uneasily.

"Right, I'll see you there then," Ron said, "I'll let Ginny know you're coming shall I?"

"Yes, thanks, I...I shouldn't be long."

"See you soon," he replied finally turning on the doorstep and walking away from the door.

Salamander breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door firmly locking it from inside to be sure that no one else could get in. At the sound of the door closing Rose walked back into the kitchen and smiled at him, "I'm sorry," Sal said to her, "he just wouldn't leave!"

"He's very good at interrupting...moments," she explained walking over to Sal and taking his hands in hers again, "now, where were we?" she went on leaning up to kiss him again, he leaned down slightly to return it but then stopped and moved his head back again.

"I'm sorry Rose, but I can't. Trust me when I say I want to do this again, so much, but I can't it's not right. I said I wouldn't turn you into a whore and I meant it. You need to go out there and live your life Rose and stay away from me, I'm ruining everything. I'm sorry," he added one more time as he pulled his hands from hers and looked at her slightly hurt but still smiling face. "I have to stop doing this to you."

She didn't reply but nodded her head in understanding then, fighting back tears, she slowly walked towards the living room, he watched as she jumped into the fireplace and he heard her whisper hoarsely, "Remember where I am if you ever need to talk," before adding "home," and disappearing in a swirling mass of green flames. He felt guilty again but he had done the right thing, sleeping with her would not take away his anger over what Gloria had done. He still had a month to get through before he would finally know the future he faced and even though he was furious about today's events he had also seen a tiny glimmer of hope that he may escape the dreadful life he was imagining for himself. Until then he would stay away from what he now knew for sure was his true love.

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"Sal, what on earth did you do?" Ginny asked as she treated his wounds tenderly twenty minutes later, "this looks sore."

"I trapped it in the door this morning," he explained without looking her in the eye.

"Hmmm," Ginny hummed sounding unconvinced, it looked more like he had hit something rough with his own hand but she did not push the matter, Salamander was dealing with a lot at the moment and as long as he wasn't hitting Gloria, which she knew he would never do, he could keep his private life private. "Well I think this should just about do," she said when she had finished and with a wave of her wand Salamander watched the red wounds completely reseal and heal until there were just a few red blotches on his knuckles. At the same time he felt relief from the soreness and smiled at his Aunt in gratitude. "Just be careful next time," she chided softly, "how did you manage to be so careless?"

"We were running late for Gloria's exam," he explained.

"Was it her eight month check?" she asked and he nodded his head, "Not long to go now then," she smiled, "everything ...alright?" she asked raising her eyebrows. They all knew the situation Salamander was in and the whole family felt for him as they watched what he was going through. Her son was never at his flat anymore and she knew that he was hoping the baby would not be Salamander's but Ginny did not make any judgements or decisions, a child was involved in this and she was proud of the remarkable way the noble man had stepped up to his possible responsibilities. She was of course heartbroken for her niece, Rose, who deserved to have some luck in her love life and felt for both of them as she remembered all too well the heartache of not being with the one you truly loved. Fortunately for her she had eventually found him again but the years she had been alone and unable to love anyone else the same way had been some of the hardest of her whole life.

"Yes, the baby is fine and Gloria's fine," he said assuming that she was as he had actually left before her examination had been carried out. He decided not to tell her about the paternity test, there was nothing that could be done now and reiterating the story to the whole family would not change matters. He knew he could rely on Rose to keep it quiet, even after the way he had treated her again today, and he had decided before he left his childhood home that he would just forget about it and get through the next month as he had the last six.

"Hello again Salamander," Ron said as he walked into the kitchen, "has Ginny managed to sort you out?"

"Yes, thanks," he said smiling up at his Aunt.

"Where's all the stuff you were gathering then?" Ron asked looking around the kitchen which was crammed to bursting as usually with over fifty years worth of Weasley stuff but no new looking baby objects waiting to be taken.

"What?" Sal asked in confusion.

"The baby stuff," Ron continued suspiciously, "that you were over at your Mum and Dad's for."

"Oh, oh that," Sal babbled, "yeah couldn't find it, she must have put it away I'll wait until she's home and call for it then. Anyway thanks again Aunt Ginny," he said gratefully, "but I'd better get back to Gloria, check that everything went...er...everything is okay. See you all later!" he finished jumping into the fireplace like he was escaping from something and swirling out of view.

"That was all very suspicious," Ron said sitting down at the kitchen table and putting the kettle on to boil with his wand.

"What?" his sister asked sitting down with him.

"Salamander, when I saw him down at Neville and Luna he was acting strange and wouldn't let me in, then he said he was looking for some things his Mum had bought for the baby. But just then he didn't know what I was talking about. It's all a bit fishy, I hope he didn't have my daughter in there," he added knitting his eyebrows, "I know he's going through a rough time but he's hurt her enough."

"I'm sure it was nothing," she said breezily hoping too that Rose had not been with Salamander, she knew it would only cause her more heartache if she had.

"Hmmm," Ron went on but the whistling kettle distracted his thoughts and he rose from his seat to search out something to nibble with his drink while his sister continued to hope that Salamander had just been distracted by his thoughts.

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"Where...where did you go?" Gloria asked quietly when Salamander stepped out of the fireplace at the flat.

"Nowhere," Salamander barked without even looking at her then he marched straight into James' bedroom and slammed the door behind him, he did not want to look at her or even acknowledge her at the moment and she could stew all she wanted in the other room.

Gloria relaxed a little, at least he had come home and if he was not in his own room he could not be packing his own things to leave, or her things to throw her out, she still had time. When he had stormed out of the examination room she had been worried but slightly relieved all at the same time, she hoped he had gone somewhere to calm down and think about the lie she had told him but had also become scared that he might actually walk out on her now. The healer had continued the exam in silence checking her cervix and announcing that everything was in order this month. She did not mention the paternity test at all, or question why she had lied to her partner about her knowledge of it, or even why she had shot her down when she had been about to say there was time for the test to be carried out before the birth. She had simply signed off the parchment sheet in her records and Gloria knew that without her presence or consent she would not be able to say anything else to Salamander. Once Gloria had dressed the healer had shown her to the door and said she would see her the following month for her eight month check up.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

On the thirty-first of August Rose attended the traditional annual Weasley family party to see the younger members off to Hogwarts. She could hardly believe it had been three years since she had left school herself and today would be the last time she had to see her brother Hugo off to school along with five of her other cousins. Only Louis, her Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill's son, Molly and Lucy, Uncle Percy and Aunty Audrey's daughters and Roxanne and Fred, Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's children were off to Hogwarts this year. However everyone was in attendance as always even her Uncle Charlie who they rarely saw at any other event of the year. Still an eternal bachelor he could be found regaling the younger men with his tales of the single life at the bottom of the garden where Grandma Molly could not hear him.

However there weren't many young men in the family actually living the single life this year and so most of them didn't appear to be as interested in his frolics as they usually were. Only she and Dominique were in fact still single this year and almost all the other cousins seemed to have brought their respective halves along with them, something which her Grandmother absolutely loved. As a happily married woman with children who were nearly all as happily married she liked nothing more than to see young people happy and in love and Rose was already staying out of her way in the hopes of avoiding the conversation that started with, 'Why aren't you seeing a lovely young man Rose?' Because he's having a baby with another woman she thought to herself as she headed to the end of the garden where the old rope swing still hung battered and worn but strong enough to hold any weight.

Dropping onto the swing she relaxed and watched the different members of her family milling around the different areas of the Burrow's vast grounds. There were no little children around anymore, save Victorie and Teddy's son, Remus, who was only a few months old, and most of the teenagers were down at the river enjoying a last splash in the water while it was still warm enough to do so. The Potter boys were sat with Uncle Charlie while their respective partners sat together at another table most probably disturbed by the topic of conversation. Aunt Ginny was sat with the girls too while Uncle Harry sat with the boys wistfully watching his youngest child and only daughter who was lazing under a willow tree near the edge of the water.

Lily had finished school in the summer and was about to start an internship in the department of mysteries where she had always wanted to work, having achieved outstanding in all of her NEWTs the Ministry had taken her on almost without an interview. She was nearly nineteen now and living at home again with her parents but Rose could see her Uncle Harry wished that she was still a little girl living at home before she started school and not after. Her boyfriend, Raulph, was living with them too and at Lily's insistence, and Ginny's persuasion, Harry had finally agreed to let them share a room together as they were no longer children at school. She could see that her Uncle still struggled to accept the fact that his daughter was sexually active and it made her feel ever more relieved that she had moved out of home almost as soon as school was over as she had had a decent paying job. Not only would her father have struggled with the same concept when she brought men home with her, he also had a distinct knack of walking in at the most inopportune moments, as she had been subjected to barely two weeks ago when he had interrupted her and Salamander.

She had not seen or heard from him since then and she knew he was staying out of her way on purpose. He usually attended the annual gathering with his parents and sister as part of the extended family but this year he had stayed away and she knew it was to make it easier for her. Consuella had called in for an hour earlier and Neville was sat with her father at the opposite end of the garden while Luna worked on a double shift at St Mungos. Rose didn't blame Salamander for rejecting her, she knew he had done it with the best of intentions and that it had been hard for him to say no, she respected the fact that he was thinking of her reputation even though it did not stop her from longing for him. She had told no one what he had told her about the paternity test and as nobody had mentioned it to her she assumed he was keeping it quiet from everyone else too. It was not her secret to divulge so she did not gossip about it with her friends or family.

After leaving his parent's home that day and flooing back to her own she had seen a tiny glimmer of hope for Salamander and knew it would not be long now until they knew the absolute truth. She had promised to move on and not wait for him but it had been harder than even she had first imagined. She tried not to get her own hopes up that he might be free in a few short weeks, it was not certain and as a child was involved she felt bad about wishing that it wasn't Sal's, however she could not help keeping the thought on a back burner in her mind. At night she would often lay awake and think about the reaction her blood and his had had, it was so pretty that it seemed to have been telling them that they were meant to be even though she knew just because it was meant to be that didn't mean it would be.

Watching her warm and loving family for a while Rose began to swing back and forth gently enjoying the feel of the soft breeze in her hair until a voice from the kitchen doorway notified everyone that the feast was ready. By the time she had jumped off the swing and headed up to the house her Uncle Charlie had caught up with her, "Now that's what I like to see," he said cheekily while dropping into step beside her, "that there're still some single Weasley's out there!" He had made it sound as if she had chosen to still be single but she shrugged off the comment and continued walking. "There's plenty of time to be caught up in a relationship like this lot," he went on gesturing to her Potter cousins, "keep life easy for the time being! Stay young!"

"Is that what you are?" Uncle Harry chuckled digging James in the ribs and smiling, "Young? I think you're a bit older than you remember Charlie!"

"My dear brother in law, you are only as old as the woman you feel!" he laughed heartily, "And at the moment I'm twenty eight!" he added under his breath so only the boys could hear it. "So what's the secret Rosie?" he asked turning his attention back to her, "You must be beating them off with a stick, pretty young girl like you, how do you manage not to give in to one of them?"

She saw James grimace from her other side but she kept the smile on her face as she replied, sounding haughty like her mother, "They have to go back to their pregnant exes!" then with a quick step she skipped ahead of them and left her Uncle staring after her in shock.

"Bad joke," James said seriously when his Uncle turned to look at him with a bemused expression. He had thought he was only having a bit of witty banter with his niece but realised instantly that as he spent so much time away from the family he missed a lot of their lives, something bad had happened to Rose and he felt instantaneously guilty. When they entered the kitchen she had seated herself between her brother and Dominique at the end of the table and as the feast got under way Charlie had little opportunity to apologise to her.

It was much later in the day before he managed to seek her out alone and offer an apology for offending her, the sweet girl smiled at him and shook her head to say it didn't matter but he knew he had hit a sore spot and wanted to make it up to her. He didn't see his nieces and nephews very often and liked to play the joking older Uncle when he did but he had crossed a line with Rose this time. "Why don't you and Dom join us at the Cauldron tonight? I've managed to persuade James to come along but the other two Potters are tied down to their girlfriends now. I can't believe how much they have changed in a year, I mean I know Alby was never into the whole drinking and chatting up girls bit but Vernon was and in the end it did take me a while to talk James into it. I told him to bring old Salamander along," her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, "but he made out that Gloria had him under the thumb now too!" Rose nodded her head and tried not to betray with her face that he was the boy she had referred to, "So what do you say? Let me buy you a few firewhiskies and we'll see if we can't find you a nice young man to talk to? I'll vet them first and make sure they're not going to break your heart!"

He put on puppy dog eyes at the end of his request and Rose found herself smiling and saying, "If Dom's up for it then yes," she did like her Uncle Charlie and knew he liked to feel young by hanging around with her generation of Weasleys, they were after all the only ones living the same life he still was.

"Settled then, I'll talk Dominique into it!"

"And butterbeer will do," she shouted after him as he turned to leave.

"Oh dear, bad night on the firewhiskey?" he asked when he saw the look on her face. Just a couple, she thought to herself as she smiled back at him.

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By the forth butterbeer Rose was relaxing more and enjoying being part of her Uncle's 'lads' night as it usually was. He had managed to hold back on the raunchy stories she knew he usually shared and talked about his work instead which he loved just as much as his single life. He was also buying all of the drinks which nobody refused as he earned more than them and had less to shell out for, he made a few more digs about the 'under the thumb boys', including Salamander, but Rose did not betray her feelings about him at all, even under the gaze of everyone else who knew. She had owled Holly to join them for a few drinks before leaving the Burrow and now she, Rose and Dom were hugging bottles of butterbeer while Charlie and James sat opposite attacking a fresh bottle of firewhiskey. "Sure I can't tempt you?" Charlie asked around eleven o clock and while Dominique and Holly accepted Rose still refused, preferring to keep a clear head. "I'll get another round of butterbeers then," he added rising from his seat and heading to the bar.

"Not for me," Dominique chirped, "I'm in work early tomorrow morning. Need to call it a night I think!" Charlie pouted at her but she smiled and nudged his shoulder, "We're not all like you Uncle Charlie, some of us need our beauty sleep you know!"

"Okay," he sighed rolling his eyes at her, "well it's been nice to have a few drinks with you anyway, next year make sure you have a day off and we'll make a proper night of it!"

"You're on," she chuckled leaning in to kiss his cheek and giving him a quick hug, "goodnight girls," she called looking at Rose and Holly then she apparated away.

"Sorry Uncle Charlie," James said after she had gone, "but I'm out on surveillance tomorrow and need a clear head too, think I'd better follow Dominique's example and hit the hay! Catch you next time," he went on holding out his hand to shake his Uncle's.

"Lightweight!" Charlie chuckled as he shook the proffered hand and glared at him warily, "I just think that Annemarie's got you on a timer, 'You'd better be in by half past eleven'!" he imitated wagging his finger and using an unnaturally high voice.

"Not likely," James laughed, "I'm banished to the flat tonight!" he went on, "That'll be fun for..." he croaked stopping mid sentence as he saw Rose look away, "...me," he coughed looking back to his Uncle, "anyway, thanks for the drinks and call around soon! Rose, Holly," he nodded at each of them in turn before turning on the spot and popping out of view.

"So old Salamander and Gloria a good pair to live with then?" Charlie directed at Rose chuckling, "He doesn't seem too happy about going back there."

"A...apparently," Rose stuttered.

"Loved up to the eyeballs are they?"

Rose gulped so Holly piped up before Charlie had chance to notice, "Going through a rough patch I think."

"Oh," Charlie mimed, "so you two are not going to abandon me at this early hour are you?" he asked putting on his pouting face again, "James used to be up until the wee hours with me after the family feast, let's show him that the girls can do it too!" Then without waiting for a reply he headed back to the bar and ordered another round of butterbeers.

While he was at the bar Holly and Rose engaged themselves in conversation and didn't realise how long he had been gone until he returned with a couple of friends in tow. "Rose, Holly allow me to introduce a couple of new friends," he said wiggling his eyebrows at the girls as the tall, brown haired men with him smiled. "This is Roman and this is Goran," he continued pointing to them in turn and the boys held out their hands to the girls who shook them politely. Rose could see exactly what her Uncle was doing but could see no way out that would not offend either them or him. "Take a seat boys," he said and they smiled as they sat down, Goran opposite Holly and Roman opposite Rose, "I'll be back soon," Charlie went on, "I spotted a few old friends at the other side of the bar, good chance to catch up, I'm sure these two will keep you entertained!" And without waiting for another response he practically ran out of sight abandoning the girls with the two new acquaintances.

"Hi, Rose? Is that right?" Roman asked interrupting her thoughts as she followed her Uncle across the room with her glare.

"Yes, hi," she replied politely glancing quickly at her friend who was already deep in conversation with his companion and wearing her usual flirty gaze.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

"So that's your Uncle?" he asked nodding in the direction of the ginger haired man who was looking back at them.

"Yeah, Uncle Charlie," she sighed.

"Not too happy that he brought us over are you?" the man asked and she looked at him apologetically.

"What? Oh sorry, no I didn't mean to be...I mean he means well I...I just don't usually talk to men that I don't know in bars," 'anymore' she added in her head.

"Your friend doesn't appear to have the same problem," he chuckled glancing over at them, she was already dropping her hand on top of his demurely as they spoke and he could see that Goran was soaking up every touch. "I don't usually talk to girls that I don't know in bars either," he went on, "I usually leave that to Goran! He was the one who wanted to chat to...Holly, is it?" he explained and Rose nodded. "I always end up tagging along with him. Oh not that...not that I didn't want to talk to you," he added quickly realising that he might have offended her with the remark, "I just...I'm usually not that...that talkative."

"I understand," Rose smiled, "it's alright, I'm usually the tag along too!" 'Now', she added in her head.

"So," he returned relaxing a little, "what do you do?" he asked and they entered into an easy conversation with each other. It was surprisingly comfortable for both of them and an hour passed without them even realising it. Roman was charming but shy and did not try too hard to impress her, he was obviously happy to just talk to someone and she was relieved about that. Holly and Goran had moved to another booth during the hour and were now completely wrapped up in each other, kissing in front of the whole bar and caring not one bit about who saw them. Rose grimaced as she remembered that not so long ago she would have been doing exactly the same thing and felt relieved again that the young man opposite her did not seem eager to copy the engrossed pair.

Shortly after one o clock Charlie came back over to their table, "Looks like Holly's enjoying herself," he chuckled nodding at her and Goran.

"As always," Rose chuckled in reply.

"Well my dear niece I am afraid my old bones are requesting a soft bed for the night, perhaps I am getting too old to be partying all night long, better leave it to the young ones like you two!" he laughed and Roman smiled politely. "It's been good to share a few rounds with you," he went on, "and I hope to see you soon, don't stay up too late now!" he chuckled and with a quick peck on her cheek and a sly smile he twisted on the spot and popped out of sight.

Moments after he had left a sound like a plunger in a sink escaped from the two love birds in the next booth and within minutes they were back at the table, Goran sitting with his friend and Holly bouncing over to Rose, "We're leaving," she giggled furiously. "I'm taking Goran back to the house, keep your ear muffs on when you get in!" she added before jumping back to her feet and reaching out for Goran's hand. He took it willingly and Rose managed to catch a swift annoyed glare on Roman's face before they darted into the fireplace together and flooed out of sight. She looked sympathetically at him but he had dropped the glare and was smiling back at her.

"Everything alright?" she asked, "It's great getting dumped all the time isn't it?" She glanced around the room then and saw that the pub was almost empty, Tom was cleaning up the bar with a raggy cloth and the few customers still sat at it were finishing their dregs. The Leaky Cauldron didn't have an exact closing time, Tom would keep it open until the last customer left but Rose could see he was aching for the last few to hurry up.

"Yeah," he sighed, "especially when I've got nowhere to stay now!"

"How come?" she questioned.

"Well I'm sort of between homes at the minute and living with Goran and his parents, the only thing is I can't get into the house without him as it's protected and his Mum and Dad will have been tucked up in bed since nine o clock."

"Oh," she replied.

"Guess I'd better see if there's a room going here tonight," he went on.

"Between homes?" she asked.

"I was living with a girl," he explained quietly, "and we split up."

"I'm sorry," she said knowing his pain.

"No, don't be, it was mutual, we'd grown apart and we both knew it, we decided to split and sell the house, she went back to live with her parents but I couldn't stay with mine so Goran said I could stay at his."

"I see."

"But like I said, it's protected so I need him to get in. This is the third time he's done this to me while I've been there! I wouldn't mind but he never even offers to pay half towards a room!" Roman sighed again getting up from his seat and approaching the bar.

"Wait," Rose blurted, "you...you could always come back...come back with me." The dark eyed man turned back to look at her, "I mean...well Holly and I live together so Goran is there, you could always stay on the sofa until morning. It would save you having to pay for a room," she went on as she saw a look of gratitude cross him face, "then you can just go home with him in the morning."

"I...I suppose," he replied, "If...if you really don't mind?"

"Not at all," she replied jumping to her feet, "come on, I think Tom's wants us out soon anyway!" she continued heading towards the fireplace, "I'll make us a coffee and we'll wait until it's all quiet above before I shimmy off to bed!" He chuckled at her joke and jumped into the fire beside her, he was close and she felt nervous about it, she had not been this close to another man aside from Salamander and Mike in a long time and she shivered a little but he didn't notice. Throwing floo powder into the air she called out her address and together they whirled out of view appearing moments later in her own clean and tidy grate.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Roman jumped out of the fireplace quickly and held out his hand to Rose who took it hesitantly and stepped out into her front room, "Thank you," she said withdrawing her hand quickly from his and walking over to the doorway. Back in her own house she took another look at the friendly man who had floppy brown hair which hung over his dark eyes and down the back of his neck. He was not overly attractive but had a soft face and a kind nature which had helped Rose to warm to him quickly, though she had only known him a few hours she felt comfortable and safe around him. She had discovered that he was twenty six and had been at Hogwarts when she was in the first year, something which had made her chuckle as she thought back on her first encounters with the tall and scary eighth years. They could not remember each other of course but at the mention of her cousin Victoire who would have been in her seventh year then he had given a small smile and whispered, "We all fancied her!" He had not been at all surprised to learn that she had married Teddy Lupin who he also remembered as being head boy when he himself had been in his seventh year.

Muffled churlish screams could be heard above and Rose rolled her eyes as she disappeared up the stairs taking them two at a time while Roman looked around the small living room and waited until she reappeared. "I cast muffliato at the door," Rose chuckled as she closed the living room door behind her, "she never has been the quiet type! Coffee?"

"Yes, thanks," he replied still standing beside the heavy oak fire surround.

"I'll pop the kettle on," she smiled, "have a seat," she went on gesturing to the small two seater sofa, "when we've had a drink I'll find some bedding you can use." Rose watched as he sat down then she went into the kitchen and made them both deep steaming hot mugs of coffee, when she returned to the room he was gazing around at the pictures of her family which adorned her walls and he indicated one or two of them asking which of her family they were. She took a seat in a chair opposite him and began to explain her enormous family again.

During their conversation in the bar Rose had learned quite a lot about Roman and his family, unlike her he was an only child, his parents had given up hope of ever having children and were in their forties when he was born. They were elderly now and lived above an apothecary which they owned in a small Gloucestershire town called Bourton on the Water. After leaving school and travelling around for a year Roman had gone back to run the shop hidden from the muggles in the middle of the town. He had told her that it was down a short alleyway behind the local school, along with a tea shop and a Madame Malkins outlet, the alley, like the Leaky Cauldron, could only be seen by witches and wizards. When Roman had moved in with his girlfriend his parents had extended the shop and turned his old bedroom into a store room which was the reason why he could not live with them again, there was simply no room. As his parents had also been only children themselves he did not have scores of Aunts, Uncles and cousins like Rose did who would be happy to put him up for a while which was why he had had to approach his oldest friend.

"And that's me with my brother, Hugo," she explained finally pointing to the last one over the fireplace which depicted she and her younger sibling on the old rope swing at the Burrow, it had been taken a few years ago and her mother had insisted she take it with her when she moved into her own home.

"It must be amazing having such a vast family," he said sipping his coffee slowly and watching her face intently, "I mean to have lots of people there for you when life changes or takes a bad turn. At least you wouldn't be stranded, having to scrounge a sofa from a pretty girl!" he chuckled and she blushed furiously.

"No," she whispered in reply looking down at her knees, "but they can get intense too, on the other hand when life changes or goes wrong they won't leave you alone either!"

He laughed and she noticed that he had a cute smile which lit up his face and his perfectly straight teeth shone bright white from his mouth as he turned the laugh into a grin. "Well I suppose there are pluses and minuses with any family! Goran's have always been good with me and taken me in," he went on, "you know having me round and inviting me to family gatherings, they're not quite as big as yours but it's nice to be included."

"Yeah, we have a sort of extended family like that," she explained, "Remember Professor Longbottom?"

"Oh...yes...the herbology teacher with the crazy wife?"

"Eccentric," she chided softly, "that's my Aunty, well sort of, we've always included them as part of our family and their children were good...friends," she coughed feeling a slight lump form in her throat as she mentioned Salamander.

"Sorry," he replied, "eccentric wife! Are his children the same?" he joked but she looked away and did not answer his question so he did not push it any further sensing that she might have been offended by his question. "It's nice of you all to take them in," he continued instead, "I know it makes my parents happier to know that if anything happened to them I wouldn't be completely alone. They always worry about that and I think they were more upset than I was when I split with Angeline, they'd been hoping we would settle down and start our own family!"

"How did you meet?" Rose asked trying to steer the conversation away from the Longbottoms, she wasn't sure why she had mentioned them really but the words had left her mouth before she'd thought about it. "Were you at school together?"

"No she didn't go to Hogwarts," he explained, "we met when I was travelling. She's the same age as me and was born in England but her mother was from Belgium and wanted her to go to Beauxbatons, as she had done. She was staying with family on her way around Europe and we met in a small cafe in Madrid, we actually ended up doing the rest of our tours together and moved in more or less straight away when we came home to England."

"So what happened?" she probed gently.

"Like I said, we just grew apart. We were in love for a long time but we just fell out of it I suppose, we both knew it and decided to go our separate ways. We stay in touch and will always be good friends I think but our relationship had run its course."

"I see," she smiled. They sat for another half hour mulling over their careers and Roman shared his desire to re-open the shop in the muggle part of town where they could use it as well. Most of the remedies he made and sold were what the muggles called old wives' tales but he knew they worked and thought they could expand and increase their business if they opened for those people who still believed in the traditional old cures and tinctures. He explained that his parents were old and unsure but he expressed his desire that one day he would make a bigger name for Botsworth and Son in Bourton on the Water. She could tell he was proud of his business even if it was still only small and his passion for his work impressed her a lot.

Eventually she yawned widely and glanced at the clock on the mantle piece which showed almost three o clock, "Merlin I can't remember the last time I stayed up this late," Rose chuckled standing up and stretching tall, "I'll go and see what I can find for you to sleep in."

"Thanks," he replied, "can I use the bathroom?"

"Straight up the stairs and to your left at the top," she told him gesturing to the doorway.

"Cheers," he returned standing up and walking out of the room. Rose gathered up the two cups and took them into the kitchen before heading upstairs to a cupboard at the top from which she extracted a couple of soft blankets. She quickly flicked her wand at her friend's doorway and was relieved to hear that all was silent behind it so she lifted the muffliato spell completely. Trotting back down the stairs she dropped the striped blankets onto the edge of the sofa and walked back into the kitchen to clear away the cups.

After washing them and placing them back in the cupboard she blew out the candle plunging the room into almost total darkness and was turning to leave the room when she heard a meowing sound at the back door. "Hey Tanner," she crooned softly walking over to the back door and lifting the heavy fluffy cat into her arms, he squirmed a little and covered her in fur as she did so. "Do you want to go out hunting young man?" she whispered into his ear opening the lock on the back door and pulling it back slowly. "There you go," she chuckled watching him disappear into the darkness before locking the door again and walking out of the kitchen into the living room to head up to bed.

She stopped stock still in the doorway as she saw by the faint glow from the hallway Roman's sleek, toned body. He had returned to the living room and assumed by the darkness in the kitchen that Rose had already retired to bed. After stretching the blankets across the sofa he had removed his shirt and was standing with his back to her by the side of his makeshift bed. Her eyes continued to stare at the curve of his shoulders and she followed his white skin all the way down to the bottom he was now revealing as he unfastened his trousers and dropped them to the floor. He turned and sat on the sofa to remove his feet from the leg holes and gasped as he saw her standing there watching him. "Oh shit," he said grabbing the belt loops and swiftly pulling them back up, "I'm...I'm sorry I...I thought you'd gone up," he went on jumping to his feet and pulling up the zip, he had not been wearing any underwear and Rose had seen everything.

"No...I...I was...I was just putting the cat out," she stuttered lifting her gaze up along the smooth hairless chest and finally coming to rest on his gentle gaze. "I...I should go up," she continued trying to move her suddenly weighted feet.

"Is everything alright?" Roman asked walking over to her side and gazing down into her eyes.

"Yes, yes I'm...I'm fine," she felt like her whole body had stopped working properly and she couldn't explain why. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen a naked man before and this one was not as attractive as some she had seen but after feeling lonely for so long she saw a strange attraction in just looking at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked putting a hand on her shoulder and she gasped.

"I...I..." he continued to gaze into her eyes and then ever so slowly he moved his head closer to hers and kissed her soft supple lips with his own. For a second she returned the kiss but then as her thought processes kicked in she jumped back from him and his hand fell from her shoulder. "I...I'm sorry," she whispered, "I...I really should go...to...bed," she repeated but her feet still would not carry her. He tried to move forward and kiss her again but she dodged him and swung to the side, "Sorry but...but I...I recently broke up with someone and...and I...I wasn't ready for something like this...it's not that it isn't...nice," she looked apologetically at him feeling that she had somehow led him on to this, "it's just like...like being in a comfortable bed and not being able to sleep in it."

He looked at her curiously trying to work out her strange analogy and with a breathless whisper he said, "why not try sleeping on a sofa instead?" She looked up at him with an equally curious expression as his hands slid up to her shoulders again and he planted another strong and urgent kiss on her lips. This time she leaned into him and allowed herself to kiss him back, it was different and exciting even though it did not seem quite right. After a moment or two they broke apart and Roman lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to the sofa where he stood still and kissed her again. Putting her gently onto the blankets he looked down at her and smiled softly trying to reassure her as he could still sense her hesitancy. "I won't bite," he whispered and she smiled as he sat down beside her and leaned forward to kiss her again. This time his tongue began to explore her neck and she felt one hand slide along her thigh and up to her breast which he gently massaged as he leaned over, forcing her to lie back against the arm of the seat. She lifted one hand up to touch his bare back then and gasped at the feel of his soft skin on her palm, moving his hand away from her breast he began to unbutton the blouse so he could reach inside and touch her bare flesh. She felt a tingle at his fingertips as they grazed her waist and slid slowly upwards towards her nipples which were becoming erect with excitement. They were still kissing and he was getting closer to her when they both heard a whooshing sound come from the fireplace.

It took her a few seconds to realise what the sound was and as she pushed Roman away from her to see who the visitor was her mouth fell open as a hoarse voice croaked, "Rose?"

"Salamander?" she gasped in reply tugging her blouse closed and jumping to her feet.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Sorry...I...I shouldn't have...I'll go," Salamander stuttered still standing in the grate staring open mouthed at the spectacle before him.

"No...no, you don't need to," Rose muttered walking over to the fire while rebuttoning her blouse, "I take it you wanted me?"

"I...I just wanted to talk to someone and you said if ever I needed to I...but I shouldn't have, I kept telling myself not to...you're...you're busy," he coughed, "I'll...I'll go," he finished.

"Wait," she shrieked running at the fireplace as he threw a handful of green dust into the air but it was too late he was gone in a flash and Rose found herself stood staring at swirling ash where moments before he had been stood, "Sal," she whispered as her chin dropped to her chest.

"Is...is everything alright?" a voice behind her asked and she felt two hands gently stroke her shoulders. At the touch she jumped and stepped forwards remembering suddenly what Salamander had just walked in and what it had obviously looked like.

"Oh...no," she replied turning to look at Roman who was still stood with a naked torso.

"Come back to the sofa," he whispered reaching out for her hand, she let him take it and lead her over but when she looked down at the crumpled blankets she shivered and stopped as he took a seat and beckoned her to join him.

"No...no, I'm...I'm sorry, I...I can't, " she cried and then she tore from the room as fast as her feet would carry her, racing up the stairs two at a time and almost crashing through her bedroom door. Once she had shut it behind her she locked it, not because she didn't trust the almost stranger downstairs or herself, but because she needed some kind of closure on what she had been about to do. Sitting on the edge of the bed she looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw a flushed face, glancing down she saw her tiny cleavage on display and realised that her bra was slid up over one breast where Roman had been sliding his hand up. She quickly undressed and pulled on her favourite, comfortable pyjama bottoms before seeking out the well worn and now faded quidditch shirt which had belonged to Salamander. Then she climbed into bed and tried to imagine what the scene must have looked like to him, especially as he had seemed stressed and needed someone to talk to. She had always promised to be there for him and though he never came, and she knew why, Rose felt as if she had let him down when he had finally ventured to talk to her. Why could she not have waited a few more weeks? Until they knew for sure about Gloria's baby, why had she decided now to throw herself at someone else? Someone who it had not felt quite right with but someone she had relented to for what reason she did not know?

Tossing and turning all night Rose barely slept and she was woken by the sound of Holly and her playmate moving around in the room next door shortly after the sun came up. She listened as they went downstairs and heard muffled voices talking when they discovered Goran's friend sleeping on the couch but Rose did not move for a long while. She just stared straight out of the window constantly replaying the terrible moment when Sal had flooed into her home. Eventually she realised that she had to be polite and get up and wrapping a large fluffy dressing gown around herself she headed down the stairs into the living room where this time she found a fully clothed Roman folding up the blankets he had slept in. "Morning," she said sheepishly making him turn around.

"Morning," he replied brightly.

"Where's Holly and Goran?" she asked shyly unable to look him in the eye.

"Out the back eating breakfast," he explained, "I was just about to join them."

"Oh...okay."

"Listen Rose about last night I-"

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, "it's not that it wasn't nice or...or...but that was...my-"

"Your ex," he interjected for her smiling in understanding.

"Yes," she nodded, "it's complicated," she went on and he nodded back.

"I sensed that something wasn't right before he appeared, I'm sorry for pushing myself on you," he apologised.

"It's not your fault," she replied, "honestly, like I said, it's complicated. I thought I was ready but when he showed up I realised that..."

"You're not," he finished for her still smiling in understanding.

"No," she whispered shaking her head, "sorry."

"Don't keep apologising," Roman said, "it's alright, really as long as we're okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," she repeated and they both began to chuckle as she realised what a decent man he was. If she hadn't been so confused and mixed up about her feelings for Salamander she would have commended her Uncle on his choice in men to set her up with.

Roman and Goran left shortly after and neither of them mentioned the previous night to their two friends, it was evident by the tired eyes and coat hanger smiles that the other two had thoroughly enjoyed their own night in Holly's bed and they practically had to magically remove themselves from each other when he had to leave. Roman rolled his eyes at Rose when he stepped into the fire ahead of Goran and they smiled at each other.

"You had a good night I take it?" Rose asked when they were finally alone.

"A very good night as a matter of fact," she blurted dropping onto the sofa with her hand over her heart, "Goran is unbelievable! I never knew a man who knew...so much!" she laughed staring off into space as if in a dream, "it was like he had octopus hands, they were everywhere all at once and doing amazing things to-"

"I don't need to know!" Rose interrupted holding up her hand at her friend.

"Okay...okay, just remind me to thank your Uncle the next time I see him," she guffawed while gazing dreamily out of the window. "Anyway what about you?"

"What about me?" Rose replied.

"You and Roman?" Holly went on smiling demurely and raising her eyebrow, "Inviting him back here!"

Rose felt her cheeks begin to flare so she grabbed hold of the blankets Roman had used which were still on the end of the sofa, "Only because he was stuck!"

"Yeah right!" Holly teased throwing a soft cushion at her friend.

"Excuse me," Rose returned turning to look at her housemate, "but in case you didn't notice he slept on this sofa and not in my bed!"

"So!"

"What do you mean so?"

"That doesn't mean anything, so he was down here on the sofa when we got up, it doesn't mean that he slept down here, you could have chucked him out of bed when you'd finished!" she giggled.

"He stayed down here all night thank you very much."

"And where were you?"

"In bed!" Rose shrieked in retaliation, her cheeks were flaming now and she was struggling to hide it from Holly.

"All night? From the moment you got in until the moment you got up?" she goaded.

"Well we had a coffee first and then he went up to use the bathroom while I tidied up and put the cat out."

"And then?" Holly probed sitting on the edge of the sofa and looking at her friend.

"And then I...I went to bed."

"Liar," Holly shouted.

"I...what...? No I...I...I'm..."

"Stuttering like a criminal held at wandpoint without any defence!" she chuckled, "Come on Rose, what happened?"

"Nothing," she whispered looking down.

"Rose?" Holly goaded again lifting the tone of her voice at the end of her name, "I'm not going to judge you, you are entitled to a bit of fun you know," she went on softly sitting back and smiling serenely.

"I was going to go up to bed," Rose began.

"But...?"

"Well I'd blown out the candle before I put Tanner out and Roman thought I must have gone up while he was in the bathroom so when I stepped into the living room to go up he was...undressed."

"And...?" Holly asked sounding intrigued and shuffling to the front of the sofa again.

"I just watched him."

"Rose!" Holly shrieked, "And then?"

"Well he turned around and he saw me and he pulled his trousers back up quickly."

"But did you get a peek at the goods?" Holly chuckled.

"Holly!" Rose shrieked back at her.

"Oh come on, give me something juicy, we haven't had a talk like this since...since," before I started seeing Sal, Rose thought to herself as she saw her friend struggling to come up with a way to say it, "well in ages! So...did you?"

"Yes," Rose whispered nodding her head and blushing again.

"And?" Holly pushed on.

"And...he kissed me."

"And...?" she said in a louder voice desperate to hear the tale and know that her friend had got back on the wagon again.

"And it felt weird, strange."

"But not bad?" Holly said sensing that Sal had once again got in the way of her romance.

"No, not bad, just different and I was unsure but he picked me up and carried me over here," she went on placing a hand on the sofa arm.

"So did you shag him?" Holly asked bluntly, "Was he any good?"

"No," Rose replied sullenly.

"He was crap?" Holly mouthed looking mortified for her friend.

"No, no I mean I didn't sleep with him."

"But why not?" Holly asked in a confused voice.

"Because of..." she drifted off and didn't finish the sentence.

"Salamander," Holly ended for her sighing deeply. "Oh Rose, you have to stop letting him get in the way of your happiness Honey," she went on moving over to the other side of the sofa and putting a hand on her friend's knee which she rubbed lovingly, "I know you loved him, a lot, but he's got a whole other life now and you need to find one too. You can't keep thinking about him every time you get close to someone else, don't let him stop you from doing what your body desires. You have to stop thinking about him."

"I wasn't thinking about him," she explained looking into Holly's eyes.

"So why did you let him stop you?"

"Because he..." she hesitated, so far she had told no one about their encounters since they had split up and she had wanted to keep them a secret. Rose glanced away looking secretive and Holly gasped.

"He actually stopped you?" Holly guessed raising her eyebrows in concern, "He was here?" she jumped up in outrage as Rose looked over to the window trying to hide the truth which she knew was written across her face. "Rose?" Holly asked vehemently, "Has he been coming to see you?"

"What...?" she returned seeing an angry look on her friend's face, "No, no just...just last night," she lied hoping Holly would believe her.

"Are you sure?" she asked looking at Rose warily.

"Yes, he just...he flooed in last night and Roman had me, pinned against the sofa arm with his hand in my opened blouse."

"Oh Merlin, I bet Sal was..." she didn't finish the sentence.

"He didn't stay, he said he'd just needed someone to talk to but he flooed straight back out again."

"Good," Holly replied, "and he needs to stay out, he has to remember he's not part of your life anymore and you have to remember that too. So what happened when he had gone?" she asked gently.

"I went up to bed."

"Rose!" Holly shrieked.

"I...I couldn't," she sobbed.

"I know," Holly placated walking to Rose's side and rubbing her shoulders, "I understand Rose, but like I said you have to stop letting him get in the way, I know it's not easy but you obviously made some connection with Roman, maybe if you met him again? He seemed quite understanding and was nice enough with you this morning even though he didn't get laid!"

"Holly!"

"Well I said I'd meet up with Goran later in the week, perhaps we can double date?" she suggested getting giddy and jumping up and down, "oh that would be so much fun!"

"I...I don't know if I..." she tried to say but her friend glared at her and she decided to leave the argument until another time, she would find another way out of being set up with him again.

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Rose spent the rest of the day lounging around the house while Holly was visiting her family, she thought back on Salamander's visit and wondered what he had wanted to talk about. She had always promised to be there if he needed her but she felt guilty that she wasn't there last night. It must have been hard for him to see her with someone else like that and the more she remembered it the guiltier she felt, he was going through enough without having to see her being fondled by another man. She wanted to go and find Salamander both to explain herself and to find out why he had needed her but she couldn't go to the flat as Gloria was likely to be there and if Holly's response to the news that they had contacted each other was anything to go by if she tried to ask James or anyone else to help her she would probably be lynched. By the end of the day she had resigned herself to the fact that Sal would probably never come back and though she would see him again someday he would not seek her out again for comfort or companionship after the previous night.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Gloria's due date had been and gone and for Salamander she was becoming an even bigger nightmare as she constantly complained about being uncomfortable. Her back ached, her feet ached, her whole body ached and Sal's head ached from hearing about it all. On the day she should have given she had disappeared birth and he had searched everywhere for her, during the last month of her pregnancy she had not gone anywhere without him by her side and when he had gone into the bedroom to wake her and found she was missing he had become confused. Gloria had turned up shortly after dinner through the floo network saying she had been with her mother for the morning but Sal felt uncomfortably suspicious. Although they had been in close proximity he had actually barely spoken a civil word to her since the day of her last check up and he had spent many sleepless nights tossing and turning as he thought about the outcome of the paternity test.

He had stayed away from the annual Weasley sending off to school party this year, his sister was not going away so he had not needed to see her off this time but he had also known that Rose would be there and seeing him with Gloria was more than she could take. He had spared her the agony of it all as really the Weasleys were not his family, no matter how close they were. Instead he had thought about Rose all day while he had been stuck at home building baby furniture for Gloria and when he had gone to bed he had been unable to sleep again, a constant thing ever since he'd found out that she had hidden the paternity test from him. When he thought about that he would also think about the reactions his blood had had with Gloria's and Rose's, if the foul reaction that his and Gloria's blood had had was repeated in the baby's blood then he would know that it was his, but as the reaction seemed to mirror their relationship would the reaction mirror the child? Would its blood show what kind of person he or she would be? He did not want to imagine that of his own child, while he knew he would never love Gloria he would do his best to provide a stable home and happy childhood for his own flesh and blood, but would that be enough to stop him or her from being...what? The stunning reaction that his blood had had with Rose's only seemed to highlight his worry even more, a child born to them would surely be happy and loving and beautiful just like their blood had been. He knew that he and Rose were meant to be and that test seemed to have somehow proved it, even though if the situation they were in had never come about they would never have performed that test

That night he had fought with the idea of talking to Rose for hours as he tossed and turned but just after three had finally decided that he would visit her, he missed her so much and he told himself he would just talk and do nothing else, for her own good. When he had flooed into her living room and seen her half naked torso pinioned against her sofa by a topless man he had been gobsmacked and unable to do anything other that mutter her name. He had known she would move on eventually and had hoped that she would do it soon for her own sake but to see it like that had broken his heart though he knew immediately that he had no right to say anything. That was why he had flooed back out immediately and collapsed onto the sofa where he had spent the rest of the night replaying the image and imagining how much further it had gone after he had left. He wanted that for her but he didn't want to have to see it, or even know about it.

That had been over three weeks ago now and Salamander had finally come to terms with it, he was still facing an uncertain future and was just glad that Rose had found someone else. Whether the relationship was going to be a long term thing he did not know, but if she was sleeping with other people she was getting on with her life without him in it, which he knew was what she needed to do. He knew he would never like the man, or indeed any man who ended up with her as he knew he would always love Rose Weasley from afar, but he would be civil and treat any man with respect, for her sake, it was what she deserved.

"What the hell is that?" he asked as Gloria walked past him on the sofa with a large glass full of a dark purple slimy looking liquid.

"Dittany, crows feet and gillyweed extract," she explained looking at it and grimacing. Then he watched as she tilted her head back and drained the full glass screwing up her eyes and pulling a face of disgust as she swallowed the last little bit, "It's supposed to bring on labour," she went on patting her stomach and pulling the miserable face that Sal was now getting used to. "I have to take it three times a day according to the healer."

"When did you see a healer?" he asked suspiciously.

"A...ages ago at...at my first appointment, she was asking about..." she paused to think, "pregnancy history in the family and I said that I had been overdue so she told me that if I ended up being overdue I was to take the potion. She told me that she'd had to take it when she had her baby and it had worked for her within three days."

"Oh," he replied looking at her protruding stomach, it didn't look quite as swollen as he had always been expecting , especially at around a week late, but then he had never really been around pregnant women before so did not know what to expect at all. It irked him that Gloria had managed to talk him out of the paternity test again as he would have known by her due date at least, now that she was over he felt like he was still waiting for an answer which he could have already had.

"Well I'm off for a nap now," she continued walking over to the bedroom door, he didn't respond to her even when she touched him lovingly on the shoulder. She was still trying to turn him to her and had even commented that she had heard sex was also a good way to kick start labour but he flatly refused to go near her. "I do love you Sal," she whispered at the doorway but he pretended not to hear her as she walked through and closed the door behind her.

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Almost a week later Gloria was still taking the potion which made her gag and Sal was desperately trying to persuade her to visit St Mungos to see what they could do. His mother had said that they could start off labour when the baby was very overdue but she refused to be induced magically saying that the baby was just taking its time and the potion would work eventually. It was now the end of September and the baby was over two weeks late, the thought that Sal might have known by now was still plaguing him and after watching Gloria drain another glass of the foul aubergine liquid he decided to visit his parents for a couple of hours. "But what if I go into labour?" she had protested.

"Then I'll be an owl or a floo away, I think you might be able to manage to contact me somehow," he replied jumping into the fire and disappearing before she could throw another argument at him. His life was dreadful and though he had made himself promise not to visit Rose up until a month ago he had at least had the knowledge that she was there for him if he had needed her. Now he knew she was there for someone else and though he was happy for her he felt worse for himself as his only place of refuge now was his parent's home. "Hello Darling," his mother said as he walked into the cluttered living room where she was sat darning socks using her wand to operate the needle, "I was just fixing your Dad's boot socks for school, he says the weather is starting to turn up there already!"

"Hmmm," he replied sitting down in a chair.

"How's Gloria doing?" she asked tilting her head to one side, "Still uncomfortable?"

"Apparently," he answered without looking at her, "she doesn't look that bad even though she keeps complaining."

"I thought that last week when I called in and saw you both, most overdue mothers are bloated and can barely move but she still seems fairly agile for nine and a half months, but well I suppose everyone is different. The baby will come when it comes," she added dreamily.

"She's trying some potion now that the healer told her about, she's been on it for a week but it hasn't done anything yet," he groaned.

"Oh yes, Castor oil and beetroot juice," she said, "is it purple?"

"Yeah," he said absentmindedly, "but she said it was dittany, gillyweed extract and something else, must be a new one."

"Dittany, gillyweed and crow's feet?" she asked cautiously dropping her socks and needle onto the table beside her.

"Yeah that's it," he sighed.

"Are you sure son?"

"Yes...why?" he asked sitting up and looking at his mother who had a worried expression on her face.

"A healer wouldn't have told her to try that, not when she's overdue, it wouldn't work at all."

"Maybe she misunderstood," Sal went on sitting back in the chair, "That's probably why it hasn't worked."

"No, son you don't understand, dittany, gillyweed and crow's feet is what they use to induce premature labour, when they find something wrong with the mother or baby and need to get it out quickly. They would only ever give it out under controlled situations at St Mungos, it's very dangerous, too much can harm the baby and if it is not mixed in the correct quantities it won't work either, but it will start to attack the baby. Once the mixture is in its system it needs real oxygen from the air into it's lungs or terrible things can happen. It is only ever used as an extreme measure, I'm sure a healer wouldn't have shared it with Gloria."

"Then why is she taking it?" he asked looking at his mother in confusion, "Unless..." he drifted off as his mind went into overdrive.

"What darling?" Luna asked.

"She's...she's not overdue."

"How can she not be overdue? The hospital would have told you it will be in her records."

"But…I've never actually seen any of her records, when I think about it I never went in for her private exam which is when they filled in all her paperwork. And the other week the healer seemed confused when we decided to wait for the paternity test until it was born when we could have known on her due date," he stood up as realisation began to dawn on him, "and she's not as big and swollen as everyone has been expecting her to be because...she's not overdue. Mother I think she's only eight and a half months."

"What?" Luna gasped.

"On her due date she disappeared, she said she'd been to her mother's but I bet she'd been to St Mungos for her last check up, her eight month check up. She's been using that potion to induce her labour so she'll give birth prematurely and then she'll find another way to stop me doing the test, she's still lying to me, she's been lying to me all along. It can't be my baby," he started to shout, "we can't have even been together when it was conceived."

"Oh...oh Salamander," Luna began to cry, "do you really believe that?"

"I do Mum, I really do, it all makes sense, why she wouldn't let us have the paternity test, why she didn't want it when she first found out, she's always known but she's been trying to trap me into falling for her again and making a complete family, with me as the sucker who fell for it all. She'll hope that I will fall for the baby instantly and not even care if it is mine or not, she's been trying to get me to bond with it all the time and...and..." he was raging now and had begun to pace the living room ignoring his mother's shushing noises and feeling his blood boiling rapidly in his head. "All this time, she's known all this time," he continued throwing his hands up in the air, "and...and she's made me...made me miserable...made me hurt Rose and...and..." He thought about the new man in Rose's life, the one she had moved on with, the one who might take the place that he had wanted, the place that could have been his if Gloria hadn't interfered with his life, hadn't played on his noble side and made him go back to her like a fool. "I'm an idiot," he yelled, "an idiot." And without another word or explanation he spun on the spot and apparated out of his mother's house and back to his home where Gloria was laying on the sofa reading a magazine and looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"Salamander, you made me jump," she said looking up at him and then recoiling slightly at his vehement and angry stare, "what's...what's the-"

"I know," he said in a barely controlled voice.

"Know...? What...do...you...mean?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"You've been lying all along, you've known all along that it couldn't possibly be mine."

"W...what?"

"Come off it Gloria, I've worked it out, we weren't even together when you got pregnant, you're not two weeks late, you're still two weeks off your due date, aren't you?" He stared at her with wild eyes and she cowered beneath their gaze, she had never seen him so angry and the fear she had had inside of her for a while now had finally come to fruition.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," she said trying to compose her shaking body, "of course I'm overdue, you've been at all my checks haven't you?"

"Ar, yes but I've never seen any of the paperwork, I've never talked to the healers about dates, they've always done that in the other room with you," he said steadily still burning his gaze into her, "I've just believed you and you've kept it from me all this time. That stuff you're taking doesn't induce labour it causes premature labour, I don't know how you know that but it's dangerous and you've probably not been taking it correctly as it hasn't worked. Stop lying Gloria, stop making a fool out of me, you've played on my noble streak because whoever this kid really belongs to ran a mile at the first sign of trouble and you pushed your problems onto me because you knew I'd be a man and step up for you. You've put me through hell Gloria, for eight months I've been miserable and beside myself at the prospect of spending my whole life with you. I've lost the woman I truly love, the only woman I have ever truly loved," she gasped at this statement, "yes Gloria that's right," he went on maliciously, "I thought I loved you once but when I found real love I knew that I never really had. It's always about you, about your opinions, about what you wanted to do and like an idiot I came back to you. I gave up a wonderful girl, for you," he spat.

"The Weasley?" she replied starting to vent her own anger now at his vicious words, "you think you loved that tart? The whore who has more notches on her bedpost than her womanising cousin?"

"Don't talk about her like that!" Sal yelled vehemently.

"She won't have you back now anyway!" Gloria began to gloat, "She'll have thrown herself desperately at some other fool, another idiot like you who'll fall for her charms and be stuck with her, at least I gave you a way out."

"Out of what?" he yelled back at her.

"Out of a stifling relationship with that clingy girl, everyone knows she's so desperate for love that she'll shag anything with a penis! Including a few animals I should imagine."

"How dare you?" Salamander screamed, his fists clenching at his sides, "Rose is not a clingy, desperate girl, she's a vulnerable woman who wants to be loved and I wanted to be the one to do that. I wanted to be the one who loved her until you dug your claws back in and ripped us apart."

"I gave you a chance at being a family, I love you Sal and I'll always love you."

"You can't love me Gloria, if you did you wouldn't have done this to me."

"But I...I did it for you," she whimpered losing some of her anger as she laid back against the sofa.

"No, you did it for yourself, because you had no one else to turn to. How were you going to get out of the paternity test when the baby arrived? You've known all along it wasn't mine."

"I...I."

"You were hoping I would fall in love with it weren't you?" She gazed at him without speaking, "Didn't you?" he shouted.

"Yes," she sobbed dropping her face into her hands, "I hoped that somewhere, deep inside, you still loved me and that you would look after me," she finished glancing up at him through enormous eyes.

"Because the real father wouldn't?"

"I don't...I don't know," she wailed.

"What do you mean you don't know? Haven't you told him?"

"I...I don't know who the father is," she whispered.

"What?"

"It happened one night, I met someone at the bar after I'd seen you with...her," she spat the word instead of her name. "I met someone and went home with him, I didn't even know his name, I was so drunk that I didn't pay attention, I didn't care and we didn't use a spell or a potion." She started to weep softly, "I just left the next morning and tried to forget about it until..."

"Until you found out that you were pregnant," he finished for her, "and then you decided to dump your problems on me, even though you knew I was happy."

"I wanted you back Sal, I love you so much and...and when I saw you with Rose I couldn't stand it. I realised what a stupid mistake I had made and thought if I could get you to love me again we could be a proper family. And even though I knew the baby would never be yours, I just hoped you would love it anyway, the way I thought you loved me...once." She continued to weep into her hands but he made no move to comfort her, while he felt for her situation he still could not come to terms with the fact that she had ripped his life apart as well as her own because she had known that he would step up and be a gentleman. "I'm sorry," she added.

"I don't care," he whispered.

"What?" she asked hopefully.

"I mean I don't care anymore, about any of it, I just want you out."

"Oh," she groaned.

"I can't look at you Gloria, I don't want to be near you, you destroyed my life for nothing, well nothing to do with me, just go. Now," he said in a steady voice.

"Sal-"

"I said go," he shouted pointing his finger at the fireplace and she stood up slowly trembling as she headed into the bedroom to collect some things together. When he turned to look at the fireplace he was still pointing at he saw his mother standing in it watching him. "How...how long have you been there?" he asked quietly.

"Long enough," she replied stepping out and enfolding him in her arms as he started to cry, he put his head on her shoulder and she soothed him without any words. He would talk about it when he was ready and she would listen if he wanted her to, "You've done the right thing Darling," she whispered, "you've done the right thing."

She stood holding her son for a few minutes more until the sound of the bedroom door reopening made them turn to look but what they saw was not a woman with a bag packed ready to leave, it was a woman with a look of terror on her face clutching her side, "Sal, Luna," she whimpered, "I think I'm in labour."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Do you want to see him?" Luna asked as she walked out of the labour suite to her son who had remained in the waiting room for the last twenty three hours, pacing up and down, dozing occasionally and listening to the cries coming from the delivery room. He couldn't bare to be with Gloria but as she had had no one else around his mother had agreed to help her through the labour and Sal had agreed to stay at the hospital until it was over. He had heard her calling for him during the throws of pain but he had remained adamantly outside, he would be a gentleman and see her when the ordeal was over but then he knew that he would walk away from her and try to rebuild some of his life.

"No," he replied shaking his head, he knew the baby was not his and Gloria had at last confirmed it, he didn't want to see it as it was not a part of him. "Thanks Mum," he went on kissing her cheek, "I just...just couldn't."

"Understandably," she answered rubbing his arms, "everything is fine, the silly girl didn't harm the baby with her potion, Healer Walker says there is no trace of dittany or gillyweed in the baby's blood."

"They've taken his blood?" he asked.

"They always do darling, and if you still want the test you can have it."

"No, no...I know he's not mine and that's okay." He smiled at his mother, "A boy?" he asked.

"Seven pounds exactly," she went on, "they've probably taken him away now if you want to see Gloria."

He nodded his head and approached the door slowly peeping inside to make sure she was alone then he stepped into the clinically white room and stood at the door looking at the drained girl in the bed. "Salamander," she said quietly.

"Congratulations," he whispered taking one step towards her.

"Thank you," she replied croakily, "do you want to see him?"

"No, I don't need to, I don't want to. I just came in to say...goodbye."

"Oh," she returned looking away from him, "right."

"I...I wish you well," he went on, "but I don't want to see you again. Goodbye Gloria." Salamander turned to walk out of the door, this was the closure he wanted from her, now she had given birth he wanted it all to be over, he couldn't go through the discussion again, he just needed to go.

"Salamander," she called as he was about to close the door behind him, "I'm sorry," she said and then turned back to the window so that when he looked at her she didn't see.

"I forgive you," he whispered.

"You do?" Gloria gasped looking back at him in awe, "Really?"

"I have to," he replied, "if I don't forgive you and forget then it will eat away at me and the hatred will turn me sour. I have to move on now, without you."

"I...I...thank you," she returned as he closed the door and he heard a soft sob from the other side. A healer was approaching the room with a white bundle in her arms but he walked purposefully past her and then his mother, who he smiled at briefly before going over to a floo port so he could go home, to his flat, away from Gloria, and away from the life he had thought he was doomed to live.

The fireplaces whizzed by as he travelled home and thought about everything that had happened, he was tired and relieved and desperate to be alone. That was not to be however, when he stepped out of the fireplace he was bombarded by James who was frantically pacing up and down their living room. "What's going on? Where have you been? Has Gloria had the baby? Is it yours?"

"Whoa James, slow down," he said straightening himself up and looking at his friend.

"Sorry, I just couldn't find you and Gloria was gone so I assumed there had finally been progress so..." he gabbled looking at Sal with wide eyes.

"Gloria went into labour, I was at St Mungos, yes she's had the baby and...no it's not mine," he sighed and James looked at him in shock, "it never was and she knew all along." James' jaw almost hit the floor at the last bit of news and he had to sit down on the sofa before he fell over.

"What?" he asked and Salamander smiled at his reaction before grabbing them both a butterbeer from the fridge and settling into the armchair so he could share the whole story with his best friend.

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Two hours later they flooed into the Leaky Cauldron after drinking their fridge dry, they had only had three bottles each as it had taken Sal a long time to tell the whole story and James had listened in awe at the way Gloria had tricked him. Once his friend had discovered the truth and found out that there was no beer left he had insisted that they go to the pub and have a few more, perhaps even toast with a few firewhiskies. He had not been sure how to approach the question of how Salamander felt now that the baby wasn't his but prior to flooing out he had plucked up the courage to ask and his friend had replied, "Relieved."

"Two butterbeers and two firewhiskey chasers," James announced as he reached the bar of the pub, "we have something to...celebrate?" he asked looking at Sal who nodded and smiled back. "Celebrate," he repeated fiddling with the change in his pocket and producing enough money to pay for the drinks. "Hey look, the girls are here," he added pointing into the corner and nudging Salamander who turned to follow the line of his finger. At the end of it he saw one of the larger booths which contained six bodies, Annemarie, Dominique, Holly, a light brown haired man who he didn't know, Rose and the man he had seen her with the previous month. His heart sank, he was finally free to be with her but he'd lost her to someone else now and there was nothing he could do, it was too late. They were sat beside each other at the table with Dominique on Rose's left, it was cramped in the booth and she was shoulder to shoulder with him looking comfortable and happy, at least one of them was he thought. "Come on," James uttered thrusting the bottle and chaser at Salamander before grabbing his own and heading into the corner of the room. Downing the shot in one Salamander winced and then followed his friend over, if he avoided them he would look childish, even though he was free he had to respect that Rose had moved on with her life. It was neither of their faults but he wasn't going to announce to her that he was now free and she could have him back, he would never be that arrogant.

"Guess what?" James shrieked as he reached the table and all six sets of eyes turned to look at him.

"What?" they asked in unison not having spotted Salamander walking sheepishly behind him yet.

"Gloria's had the baby," he yelled steeping aside and bringing Sal into full view, Rose's heart lurched when she saw him and then did so again as she realised the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived. "And-" James went on but Salamander cut him off swiftly.

"And it's a boy," they all cheered as James pulled his head back and looked at Salamander curiously.

"Congratulations," said Goran assuming it was something to be celebrated.

"How's...Gloria?" Annemarie asked quietly.

"She's tired, she was in there for twenty three hours," he smiled.

"Is...is it..." Rose coughed and tried to ask but her words were stuck.

James took another deep breath to answer the question but Sal jumped in ahead of him, "We're having the test this week," he told them and James shook his head in confusion.

"But I thoug-"

"We'll know soon enough," Sal interrupted again and the bemused James took a swig from his bottle, "Now I came to have a drink with my flatmate, so I hope I don't offend you all ladies, and gents," he added nodding at Roman and Goran in turn, "but I need to wet the baby's head with James."

"Of course," Rose replied on behalf of them all, "let us...know when you..." Salamander nodded his head at her and then had to turn away, he couldn't bare to see her with another man and when he and James had returned to the bar he sat with his back to them as James ordered another round of chasers and looked at him with a curious expression.

"What the hell was that about? Why didn't you tell them the truth, especially Rose, she's been waiting for..."

"As long as I have, I know but I don't want her to feel any obligation to me when she knows it isn't mine. I had to leave her to get on with her life and now," he turned and glanced in her direction to see that she was still sat very close to the dark haired man, "she's doing that."

"What him?" James asked, "He's not..."

"He is," Sal replied.

"No," James went on, "he can't be, how would you know? They're only sitting together."

"I've seen them...together," he explained.

"What? When?" James asked picking up the fresh shot of yellow liquid that Tom had just placed on the bar for him.

"I..." Sal sighed, "I flooed in to see her in the early hours of the morning a couple of weeks ago and they were...on the sofa..."

"Oh," James said softly glancing back at his cousin and her companion, "but they don't look as if they..."

"Trust me," Salamander said, "but it's fine, it's what she should have done long ago, it's what I wanted her to do and I'm happy for her, really I am. She couldn't wait for me and I didn't want her to but I just don't want to..."

"Hang around them just yet?" James asked nodding his head in understanding. He still wasn't convinced that Rose and the bloke were actually together but Salamander had been through enough in the last twenty four hours and he didn't want to push him into anything yet. He was free now and there was plenty of time for him to talk to Rose.

"Let's just head back to the flat," Sal suggested, "I'm wiped!"

"Whatever you want," James answered picking up his bottle and ordering a few to take out from Tom. He felt happy to have his friend back and was willing to do whatever he wanted for a few days in the hopes that he would become the Salamander Longbottom that he used to be before Gloria had ripped him apart.

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"They didn't stay long," Dominique commented after she had watched Salamander and James floo back out of the pub, "mind you he's probably shattered, twenty three hours? I'm glad it wasn't me!"

"I know, can you imagine?" Holly asked and they started a short conversation about childbirth which made Roman and Goran rather uncomfortable for a few minutes until a flooing sound followed by whoops of joy interrupted them and made all six turn their heads.

"Have you heard? Have you heard? Have you heard?" Consuella squealed as she ran across the pub towards her friends, she had been searching for them all at their respective houses and had hoped that they were all together at the pub so she could share her news.

"Yes, we heard," Dominique replied smiling and rolling her eyes.

"Isn't it fantastic?" she cried hugging a bemused Goran who was nearest to her.

"Er...yes," Dom stuttered glancing at Rose who had been a bit shell shocked ever since Salamander had told them. "Sal's just been and told us, it's a boy right?"

"Who cares?" Consuella squealed.

"Huh?" Dom returned looking confused, "Who cares? If you don't care then why are you so excited?"

"Because that bitch's claws are out of my dear brother for good!" she replied looking a bit confused.

"What?" Rose interjected.

"The baby, it's not his!" she answered nudging Goran in the ribs so he squashed up against Holly and Annemarie.

"But he said they hadn't done the test yet," Rose went on looking mystified.

"They don't need to do the test do they?" Consuella went on, "Hasn't he told you?"

"He told us that it was a boy, that she'd been in labour for twenty three hours and that they were doing the test this week, that was all," Dom explained looking from Rose to Consuella who's face was looking ecstatic.

"I don't understand," she replied, "he knows that it isn't is, it never could have been. The little whore has been lying all along, she was barely a month gone when she told him." The four girls at the table gasped audibly, "She shagged some random bloke that she met here after she'd seen you," she glanced at Rose, "and Sal together and she got herself up the duff! She had no idea what his name even was so she decided she'd play on Salamander's sensitive and upstanding side and claim that it was his. She's been complaining about being uncomfortable and overdue for the last two weeks while taking a dangerous potion to bring on premature labour."

"Oh Merlin," Dom shrieked, "the evil little..." she drifted off and turned to look at Rose who still had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Why wouldn't he tell...m- er...us?" she uttered.

"I don't know...oh..." Dominique replied looking from her cousin to Roman and back again.

"Oh," the new man repeated as realisation dawned on him too, the babbled conversation had finally cleared up the confusion he had had about Rose's ex boyfriend and he had caught on quite quickly.

"What?" Rose asked looking at him.

"Me," he replied, "being here with you...after..." he looked at her through his hair and she blushed a little as she recalled Sal flooing in on them at her house.

"Ex...excuse me," she said immediately standing up and practically climbing over Roman in her eagerness to get out. "I should...go and..." but she grabbed her cloak and disappeared into the fire before anyone could say another word.

She bounced out of the fire at her destination making her cousin, James, nearly jump out of his seat. "Rose," he said dropping the bottle of butterbeer from his hand onto a table beside his chair, "what are you...?"

"What's going on James?" she asked briskly, "Consuella's just bounced into the bar saying the baby can't be Sal's and he knows it, why didn't he tell us? Why didn't he tell me?"

"Why do you think?" he replied softly.

"Because of Roman?" She asked, "But we're not together, he's just a friend."

"Sal said he'd seen you...together," he coughed, "at your house."

"Well...well yes I...I suppose he did but it was nothing. We were...and Sal flooed in but then I couldn't...I couldn't go through with it," she admitted looking down as she felt herself blush , "And besides even if it had been something more why wouldn't he tell me anyway?"

"He just wanted you to be...happy he thought you'd moved on and he didn't want you to feel obligated to him."

"Obligated?"

"To go back to him just because the baby wasn't his, he still loves you but he told you to move on and he thinks you have so he..." James explained drifting off.

"Where is he?" she asked quietly.

"He went straight to bed," James replied nodding his head at Salamander's door, "he was wiped out after staying up all night at St Mungos."

"I should talk to him," she went on walking to the bedroom door and touching the knob hesitantly, "I don't feel obligated to him, I feel obligated to myself to be with him, if he still wants me."

"Of course he wants you Rose, he loves you so much, these last few months have killed him."

"I know," she nodded thinking about their few precious encounters during that time.

"Is Annemarie still at the pub?" James asked as she carefully turned the door knob.

"What?" she replied as he distracted her from her thoughts, "Oh, yes well she was when I flooed out just now."

"I think I'll go and meet her, let you...have the place to yourselves," he said standing up and heading to the fireplace as he drained the contents of his bottle, "and Rose?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Make him smile," he went on softly.

"James!" Rose shrieked at her cousin looking wildly around for something to throw at him.

"I don't mean like that...well like that as well if you like!" he chuckled raising his eyebrows, "I mean it's been a long time since he was happy," he concluded smiling sincerely at her.

"I know," she replied gently opening the bedroom door as he smiled at her and disappeared into the green flames.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Thanks to the peopl who have reviewed this story; they never get as many as the Harry/Ginny ones but at least someone reads them! i have other stories to publish but this one is almost over (just this chap and an epilogue to go) Please review at the end! Thanks!**

Chapter 26

Rose turned around and peered into the darkened bedroom, she could smell Salamander's musky aftershave and she inhaled it deeply as she remembered how much she had missed the scent. When her eyes had adjusted to the low light conditions she saw his form curled up on the bed facing the opposite wall, she could tell by his regular breathing that he was sleeping and as she walked around and looked at his peaceful face she was loathe to wake him. He had been through so much in the last few months and she could see that he was tired, not just physically but emotionally as well. In his slumber he had no worries, no sadness but she knew that they had to talk and she hoped that their discussion might end with him reclaiming some of the happiness he had shared with her.

Kneeling down on the floor beside his bed Rose looked at his soft face, his blonde hair had fallen over his eyes and she tenderly swept it back so she could see his handsome face. It was so relaxed and after a moment she focused in on his soft, supple lips and remembered how they felt against her own and against her skin. Leaning her head down she could not resist kissing them slowly and gently, tugging on the bottom one with her own until she felt Salamander stirring. "Hmmm," he moaned as she pulled her head back a little and placed a hand against his cheek lovingly, his eyes fluttered open while his hand came up to cover hers and when he saw her he pushed his head back into the pillow in shock. "Rose," he croaked, "what...what are you doing here?" he asked pulling himself up a bit and letting go of her hand, she didn't move hers from his face though, instead she started to stroke his cheek with her thumb and smiled at him.

"Sal, why didn't you tell me?" she whispered softly. He began to shake his head but didn't answer immediately so Rose took his other hand in hers and laced their fingers together gently, he looked down and stared at the touch as if it was alien to him.

"I...I didn't...I...I don't...don't want you to feel..."

"Obligated?" she asked quietly and he nodded his head. "Why not?" she asked and he looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Because I want you to be happy...with," he couldn't bare to acknowledge that there was someone else she was sharing herself with.

"Sal, we're not together," she returned moving to sit on the bed beside him as he sat up against the headboard and let her hand fall from his face.

"But I saw you..." he continued looking away as he remembered the awful but inevitable moment when he had seen her with him.

"And you stopped me," she went on, "you stopped me from making a mistake, from doing something that I didn't want to do."

"What?" he asked, "I stopped you? Rose I shouldn't have done that, I left you, I had to go and I told you to get on with your life without waiting for me, you should have done what you..." he swallowed still unable to utter those words.

"I know, but I didn't want to Sal and I shouldn't have tried. When I saw you I knew that it was wrong, I knew I didn't want it because no matter what you said to me when you left I had to wait. I had to hold on until I knew for sure whether there was any future for us or not. Your life was in limbo Sal and no matter what you wanted or what you said I had to put mine in limbo too, I don't feel obligated to you, I feel obligated to myself, to find out if we could be...together."

"So you didn't...you didn't sleep with him?" he asked.

"No," she replied shaking her head, "no, because he wasn't you."

"Rose, you shouldn't have done that, you shouldn't have waited."

"But I did," she went on lifting her hand up to his cheek again and stroking it softly, "I had to and now I need to know if there is any future for us?"

"After everything I've done? You still want that?"

"I want you Salamander, I love you," she replied leaning her head forwards and placing her lips against his once more to stop any more protest that he might have. Her hands lifted up to his head and pulled it close to hers so he could not argue with her again and she felt him kiss her back with longing and passion as his hands slid up to her face and rested against her cheeks. Eventually they broke apart, both breathless, and looked into each others' eyes, "Are you smiling yet?" she asked and he looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"What?" he whispered in confusion.

"James wanted me to make you smile again," she giggled climbing into the bed.

"You can make me smile just by being in the same room Rose," he returned breathlessly, "but-"

"No buts," she interrupted putting her finger against his lips softly, "no more buts, not more explanations, no more apologies, it's over, it's all in the past all I want to know is do we have a future?" she asked leaning back and looking into his dark eyes for an answer.

"I...I hope so," Sal replied shyly looking back at her with the biggest smile on his face. When he had walked into the Leaky Cauldron and seen Rose with the man he had caught her naked with his heart had sunk even deeper. Even after the ordeal with Gloria he hadn't even thought about any future with Rose, he had told her to move on and he thought she had finally done that weeks ago. However seeing her in the bar had hammered it home and he had felt too guilty to tell her the truth about the baby fearing that she would either go to him for his sake and not hers or feel guilty about being happy with someone else. He had come back to the flat and run for his bed wanting to disappear into a peaceful sleep and not have to think about what he had lost, but now here she was telling him that she still wanted him and asking him if he felt the same, "I love you Rose," he added as she beamed brightly, her eyes shining with tears.

She moved her head forwards to find his mouth and as they started to kiss she leaned her body against him resting one hand on his chest as he held her in one arm and then she pushed her weight against him until he slid back down on the bed. Slowly and tentatively she slid her hand beneath the thin t shirt he wore and touched his bare skin, running her fingers through the tufts of hair in the middle of his chest and then gently tugging on them. He continued to kiss her as she did this but moaned softly at the tenderness of her touch. After a few minutes she began to tug the t shirt up and broke away from the kiss long enough to pull it over his head and shoulders and discard it on the floor. Looking deep into his dark eyes she moved her body to sit across his middle knelt up on her knees looking down at his strong chest and muscular arms which she stroked with her hands and smiled.

He seemed hesitant but she thought it was just part of his guilt over what he felt he had put her through, and desperately wanting to reassure him without words she sat back and lifted the top she wore over her own head watching as his eyes grew wide at the sight of the body he had dreamt about for months but been unable to touch. For a few long minutes he just stared at her as she removed her lace bra to free the pert breasts which had been contained inside it, her hair fell around her face and down her body covering the ends of her nipples and Salamander just continued to stare. His hands were resting at the top of her thighs and she could tell he was cautious about reaching out to her naked body, "Salamander," she whispered softly leaning over him and wrapping her arms around his neck so that his head was pushed against her skin, "kiss me," she finished releasing him slightly so he could stare up at her again.

"I...I," he stuttered.

"I've missed this so much," she whispered, "please touch me," and she felt his hands finally slide up from her thighs along the sides of her waist and to her breasts which he cupped in each hand as he groaned and she felt something stirring between her thighs. Throwing her head back in pleasure at his touch Rose started to echo his moans and deepened them as he sat up and tentatively began to lick the end of one of her nipples making her feel deeply aroused. His hands slid up and down her back as he moved back and forth between her breasts licking, probing and sucking on them tenderly and listening to her groans.

When she was more excited than she thought possible she jumped up and while watching him with a playful smile she removed the rest of the clothes she wore until she was completely naked and he gasped again. "I'd forgotten how beautiful you are Rose," he whispered still not moving out to touch her or force her, she could tell he still felt guilty and was desperate to alleviate it. Laying down on the bed beside him she unbuttoned his trousers and pulled them down removing the rest of his clothes until he was naked and ashamedly hiding what he wanted to do.

"Sal why are you so hesitant?" she asked softly laying herself out beside him, "You don't need to feel like that."

"I can't help it," he replied gently stroking her waist and turning onto his side to face her. "I feel so ashamed of what I did to you I don't want to force you into anything."

"Why do you feel ashamed?" she asked quietly.

"Because I hurt you, I left you the way other men did…when I knew that you wanted to be loved and cared for and-"

"And you had no choice," she said lifting her hand up to his cheek again, "you didn't know what was going on, you did the honourable thing even though it wasn't what you wanted, you were thinking about the life of someone else and what you could do for them."

"But I should have been thinking of what I could do for you."

"No," she said vehemently, "you were thinking about something more important for a while. Salamander you did a good thing for someone and yes it hurt me but I knew why you were doing it, you did it to help Gloria and to help what might have been your child."

"But I came back to you, once when I should have left you alone, you might have moved on and been happy."

"No," she replied shaking her head and sitting up, "I wouldn't have been happy, not without knowing. I had to wait and I would have done it whether you had come to me or not. So please stop feeling guilty," she went on, "and hold me," she finished leaning into his shoulder and snuggling down to lay with him, stroking his bare chest and waiting until he was comfortable. They lay clinging to one another for a long time, breathing in each other and marvelling that they were actually together, not for a stolen moment this time and hopefully not to be disturbed by her father either. He pulled her close and they turned into each other starting to kiss again before building up each others' arousal through gentle touching and stroking. Rose rolled Salamander until he was positioned above her between her legs and she could feel him against her leg, she was desperate to feel him again, to be one with him but he was still holding himself back. "Sal," she whispered again, "stop waiting and make love to me," she pleaded scraping her nails down his back and pushing herself up to him.

He slowly and carefully took her, listening to her groan softly as he penetrated her deeply and looked into her eyes, realising how amazing this girl was. She had waited for him even though he told her not to and she had come back to him now, she still wanted him after everything he had done and she was willing him to make love to her, which he did. He made love as if he had never done it before and never would again and he lost himself, he lost his anger, his despair and his sadness in the beautiful red head moaning beneath him and stroking his body with her fingers. She rolled him over and started to rise and fall above him reminding him of the sensuous ways that she made love and eventually he exploded within her so she dropped her body onto his, breathing rapidly and relaxing.

They kissed tenderly and touched one another waiting for their heartbeats to slow down, luxuriating in the knowledge that they were together again in spite of all the odds. Rose rolled over and he spooned his body around hers holding her close and gently kissing the back of her neck and shoulders as she breathed deeply and stroked the arm holding her against his chest.

"You should get some more sleep," she whispered stroking his arm, "I shouldn't have disturbed you but I needed…this. I can let you rest if-"

"I don't need sleep," he breathed quietly in her ear, "I need you, don't leave me."

"I won't," she whispered, "I'll stay in the flat but let you rest."

"No," he answered gripping her a little tighter, "I want you here, right here, sleep can wait."

"Okay." They laid together like that for a long time not moving, not speaking, just being together.

Salamander was still overwhelmed by her love and wished that they never had to move or face the rest of the world, "What will your parents say?" he whispered eventually blowing on her neck and making her moan softly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"When they see us back together, won't they hate me after..."

"No Sal, of course they won't. They understood why you did what you had to do and they think you are an honourable person for not leaving Gloria in the lurch, it was all an accident and before we were even together, well so we thought. They know you didn't set out to hurt me, you were doing the right thing and it will show them that you are prepared to do anything. They won't hate you, none of this was your fault Sal, please remember that."

"I don't think I've ever met anyone as understanding as you Rose," he whispered nuzzling her neck gently.

"Well I've never met anyone as honourable as you Sal, it took a lot of courage to go back to Gloria when you didn't want to and I'm sure no-one would have blamed you if you hadn't even if the child was yours." She turned over in his arms and beamed up at him as she stroked his face with one finger, "Did...did you see him?" she asked quietly looking at his face to gauge his reaction to her mentioning the baby.

"No," he replied shaking his head and propping himself up on his elbow, she didn't see a flicker on his face at all and she wasn't sure what emotion he was feeling. "Mum asked me if I wanted to but...but I didn't, I didn't need to. I went in to see Gloria afterwards...to say goodbye, she wanted me to see him too but I wouldn't, he isn't mine."

"Did...did you say anything to her?"

"I told her that I forgave her," he uttered quietly.

"You did?" Rose replied looking at him in awe.

"I had to, if I didn't forgive her then I wouldn't be able to forget and it would eat away at me forever. What she did was wrong but a part of me understands why she did it, Gloria was scared and alone and knew her parents would be mad. She saw a way out and unfortunately that was me," he went on stroking her arm and staring at the wall.

"How did she expect to get away with it after everything you said about having the paternity test?"

"She was hoping I would fall in love with her before the baby was born and wouldn't need to have the test, she thought we could be a happy family."

"But you didn't?" she asked knowing the answer but needing to ask it anyway.

"No," he replied pulling Rose into him as reassurance, "Of course not, I couldn't love her, I'm sure now that I never really did. I cared for her and respected her, once, but I don't think I ever really loved her. When she tired to get me to fall for her again I couldn't feel anything, I was mad at her for a while because of what she had done to my life but the biggest thing was that she wasn't you," he continued rolling her back to look into her eyes. "And I knew the only person I wanted to love was you, even if I couldn't have you," he finished gazing at her face and seeing a beautiful smile light it up.

"What did she try and do?" Rose asked.

"All the things she never did when we were together! At first she just kept trying to coax me into bed with lacy underwear and stuff, something I told you she'd never done but it just repulsed me, I didn't want to know. And she didn't look as good as you do!" he added chuckling at her and pulling her close, "But I couldn't have gone near her anyway, we never even slept in the same bed once."

"I threw all that stuff away," Rose admitted deciding to be honest with Salamander.

"What stuff?"

"The lacy underwear and boots and stuff, I burned it all."

"Why?" Salamander asked caringly, not because he would miss it but because he knew it had been a part of her once.

"Because...because it wasn't me, well not anymore. When we split up I became withdrawn and never left the house except to go to work but eventually the girls forced me to go out, that was when we saw you in the Cauldron with Gloria," she replied. "They dragged me out to the Three Broomsticks that night and I got talking to someone," she looked away from him at this point and he sensed immediately that 'someone' was male but he hugged her close as if to say it was alright. He had had no claim over her then and though he would have been jealous there was nothing he could say about it. "H…he," she stared to stutter, "he bought me drinks, lots of them and firewhiskey too and...and we...we ended up back at the house," she went on determined to tell him the truth before their relationship started up again.

"Hmm," he breathed trying to encourage her to relax he was not going to be angry for something she had done when they were apart.

"Well I was drunk and I saw all the old stuff in the bathroom and I...I used it. But...but it was awful, it was rough and harsh and-"

"The bruises," Salamander gasped sitting up a little and she pulled herself into a sitting position looking ashamedly away, "the day after I saw you in the Cauldron was the day I came to you and you told me that you'd fallen and...oh Rose," he whispered putting his hands on her waist and pulling her back towards him but she pulled out of his touch and turned herself on the bed to look at his face.

Crossing her legs in front of herself she continued, "Yes," she admitted looking away again but allowing him to take her hands in his, "they were from... But afterwards he just left and I felt used and dirty and like it was all...all wrong, I wasn't that Rose anymore and I didn't want to be her, I wanted to be the one you had made me into. I knew then that I had to make a change, I had to get rid of all the stuff and put that chapter of my life behind me, I didn't need it to find a man but I also knew then that I didn't want to find one either. I knew I had to get back to my life but I also unconsciously decided that I needed to wait for you until we knew for sure. When you came to me that next day and made love to me gently and passionately I knew even more that that was the real me, the one I really wanted to be. That's why I told you that I would be there for you whenever you wanted me because I wanted to be that Rose, I wanted to be your Rose," she concluded looking up imploringly at him, "I'm...I'm sorry for doing it but-"

"No," he interrupted leaning forwards and gripping her hands which he had held gently through the last part of her tale, "you don't have to be sorry, you were single and able to do anything you wanted without repercussions or...or... I can't say anything, I'm just sorry that I...I drove you to that."

"You didn't, really, I was just revisiting the old me and...and I didn't like it, I like the one you made me into."

"Rose you were always that girl," Salamander said softly tugging her towards him by the hands, she slid her legs round to the side and he reached out to touch her waist and pull her to him laying her gently back against the pillow with one arm beneath her. "You've always been sweet and tender and understanding, you made the other Rose because you thought you had to, I just brought the old one back!" He leaned over to kiss her again and dropped his body over hers, she began to stroke his back as they continued to kiss. For a moment they broke apart and she pulled her back to stare up into his deep soulful eyes, she could see his love shining through them and the pain and sorrow he had carried around for the last few months was receding from them. He smiled down at her shyly and then opened his lips to speak knowing exactly what he wanted to say, "Rose..." he uttered softly, "will...will you marry me?"

"What?" she asked in surprise looking up at his smiling but suddenly nervous looking face.

"I...I don't ever want anything to come between us again, I love you so much and...and it doesn't have to be soon, I know we weren't seeing each other for long before...Gloria, but I can't lose you again, I can't ever let you go. I want us to be together – forever," he added searching her eyes for an answer. She looked gobsmacked and he was very afraid that it could make her run for the hills, "Marry me," he whispered again leaning down to kiss her lips.


	27. Epilogue

Rose Weasley and the Waiting Heart

Epilogue

It was a freezing cold day as everyone gathered together in the haphazard house and waited. The sky was white and full of snow and it was impossible to see over the hills for the rolling fog dropping down them. The garden was blanketed in a fresh falling of white flakes which had come down during the night but the sky seemed clear for the moment. Everyone was dressed in thick fur cloaks which kept out some of the chill creeping around every part of the house and grounds.

James looked extremely nervous in his dark blue robes and bow tie waiting with his brothers and Salamander, who were dressed in exactly the same robes. He was tapping his fingers against the kitchen sideboard as his friend and brothers grinned at him passing jokes from one another about how pale he was. Someone came to tell them that it was time to make their way into the waiting marquee, "Especially you," they said looking pointedly at James, Salamander, Vernon and Albus who each nodded in turn and began to make their way out to the waiting entrance where they disappeared inside ahead of everyone else.

"So James, is it the effects of last night or what's coming up today?" Salamander asked with a light laugh leaning over to the man standing at his side and remembering his best friend crawling into the flat at about three o clock that morning.

"Bit of both really," he replied wincing as he remembered the amount of alcohol he had consumed to try and calm his nerves.

"What are you so wound up about?" Salamander asked him.

"Everyone watching me and listening to me," he whispered as people began to trail into the magically enlarged room which was draped in swathes of dark blue and white satin which hung across the ceilings and draped down the walls.

"James, you've never been shy about it before and don't you have to talk in front of loads of people at work?" he asked shaking his head.

"Well yes but that's different, it's about work and I know exactly what I have to say. This is different it's not exactly the kind of stuff that I usually talk about is it? Well not in front of a room full of my family anyway!"

"I suppose not but you'll be fine James! Absolutely fine!"

At that moment a magical harp began to play a soft piece of music by itself and everyone turned to look at the open doorway where three bridesmaids dressed in royal blue satin robes with white ermine trims came into view. They smiled and looked at the waiting crowd before starting to walk down the aisle one behind the other clutching a simple bouquet of white flowers. They were covered in blue and white confetti which had fallen from the same enchanted doves that Bill and Fleur had had at their wedding anniversary.

As they reached the bottom everyone turned their heads back to stare at the man and woman who were now standing in the doorway both smiling brightly, though the father looked a little nervous about having all the eyes on him and his little girl. She was wearing the simplest ivory robes with soft feather trims on the hem, collar and sleeves, a plaited gold belt was tied loosely around the waist where the robes tapered in to show the bride's curvy body and two long strings fell from the knot to the floor. All eyes were glued to the pair as they began to walk down the aisle towards the front, the red headed man in dark blue robes smiled at his daughter when they reached the bottom and passed her hand over as James and Salamander stepped forwards and the latter added to his friend, "You're not the one who's supposed to be nervous, it's me who's getting married!" Then he turned to gaze at the beautiful Rose Weasley who's hand was being held out for him by Ron. He took it gently and beamed at his bride, the girl of his dreams and the only person he had ever and would ever love no matter what.

They stepped forwards together and stood in front of the tall man in white robes who was about to marry them, the wedding had happened in a whirlwind for both of them but they knew they wanted nothing more than to stay together forever and both Rose's and Salamander's parents had been over the moon when they had heard the news. They had both found what they wanted, Salamander had someone to shower his love on and Rose had someone who loved her as much as she loved him, and everyone was happy for them. They were the perfect couple who had been through a hard time and survived. They knew each other well and were madly in love which was obvious to the whole congregation who beamed at the couple as they said their vows and then clapped when the wizard announced that they were man and wife, something which caused the couple's faces to burn bright red. As they left the front of the room and walked back down the aisle beneath the enchanted doves Salamander Longbottom positively beamed. James followed on arm in arm with his cousin Dominique and behind them were James' two brothers who led Consuella and Holly out by the arm.

There were a few photographs taken in the bitter cold while the marquee was transformed into a ballroom where everyone gathered to dance, drink and hear the speeches, something which James was desperate to get over and done with. Bottles of champagne hovered around in the air filling all the glasses as eventually the last vestige of colour drained from James' face and face he stepped onto the small platform where the ceremony had taken place and nervously tapped his glass. "If I...if I can have everyone's attention please...I...I would like to make a...a speech," the entire room fell into silence and turned to look at the pale faced man at the front who they had all known well for a long time.

"Right....well I...I would like to begin by saying thank you to Salamander for asking me to be his best man even though I have to make this speech!" Everyone laughed as he nodded at his best friend, "Then I guess I need to go on to say some things about the happy couple," he coughed once more. "I...I was really nervous about this speech, if you can't tell," he added and the room chuckled slightly, "I have to talk in front of a room full of people about allsorts when I'm at work but it's usually something I am knowledgeable about or have read up on in preparation but today...today I have to talk about something which I never knew much about until a short while ago myself." He looked away for a second at this point before continuing, "The two people standing here in front of us," he held his glass out to Salamander and Rose who were stood in front of the platform with their arms wrapped around each other, "are very much in love, in fact I think they may be the epitome of love! Now I know most of the Weasleys," he nodded swiftly at his uncle Charlie who had come dateless to the wedding, "shower love on their partners all the time and our Rosie here wanted nothing more than to do the same, and have someone do it back to her." Rose began to blush furiously but she smiled on at her cousin.

"However she always seemed to manage to find the wrong one for a long time until she met Sal or, I should say, noticed Sal because of course they have known each other all their lives. I was the first one to find out that the two of them were...er developing feelings for the other and was surprised at myself when I didn't tease my cousin to death as I would have done in the past. Instead I started to see that they would be very good for each other and after a discussion with our other dear cousin," he toasted Dominique at this point who turned her head away, "I tried, or rather we tried to give them a gentle nudge in the right direction and did I or did I not say that they would be toasting us at their wedding dear?" he asked looking pointedly at Dominique who nodded her head and grimaced as everyone turned their heads in her direction. "Anyway, they took a bit of persuading but got their in the end, however as we all know fate had a nasty turn for them and I think we were all as devastated as they were when they had to part for reasons beyond their control." He looked poignantly away for a moment but did not dwell on the experience.

"The point I am trying to make though is that because they loved each other so deeply and so much when it was all over they managed to find each other again and rekindle that special love that they had found, the one that I think that many of us envy. All either one wanted was to be happy and have someone to love and now they have that and we can all see that it is going to last forever," he smiled softly at them and Rose turned her head coyly into Salamander's shoulder to hide her red face. "The wedding came around quicker than any of us thought it would but I know they are a strong couple who can face anything and I am honoured to be part of their wonderful day. Now this is the only time I am actually going to talk about my cousin like this so before I go back to winding her up like I usually would, can I please propose a toast to the two most amazing people in the room today, without whom this day would never have happened." He lifted his glass in the air then and added, "To Dominique and James," and then took a deep swig from his champagne. The room erupted in laughter but everyone clinked their glasses together and drank to the two 'matchmakers' before James went on loudly and said, "To Rose and Salamander."

"Rose and Salamander," everyone chorused before they clapped and cheered the happy couple.

"Feeling a bit better now that's over?" Salamander said clapping his friend on the back and shaking his hand as everyone went back to the drinking and dancing which was to continue well into the night for all the guests. James nodded in relief, "Thanks, mate I know it was...hard," Sal added in a low voice.

"Why would it be hard?" he asked jovially.

"Because of..." he trailed off letting James fill in the blank.

"It's over mate, I'm not dwelling on it so don't sweat it, she can go and join Gloria for all I care! I'm off to get myself the hot bridesmaid!"

"James, one of them is your cousin, one of them is Sal's sister and the other is Holly!" Rose joked "Your choice is sort of limited!"

"Yeah mate and I wouldn't recommend my sister seeing as she swings the other way!" Sal added.

"Like I said, I'm off to get the hot bridesmaid," he chuckled eying the slim brunette at the other side of the room, "don't wait up!" and with a cheeky smile at the newlyweds he sauntered across the dancefloor and asked Rose's best friend and chief bridesmaid if she wanted to dance.

"I never thought our James would be the one to have his heart broken did you?" Rose whispered leaning in to her new husband, "And I never expected Annemarie to cheat on him."

"She reckons that he was always going to break her heart one day and go back to his womanising ways so she got in there first, or something like that. He seems to be okay with it all now," Sal replied pulling her into his arms.

"I'm not so sure, I think he's covering up a lot," Rose returned.

"He's got plenty of family around to help him, and I'm sure Holly will keep him entertained for the evening at least! You never know one night with you was all I needed to get over Gloria," he went on nuzzling her neck, "maybe Holly will sort him out!"

"Hmmm," Rose murmured enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin, "how long before we can leave?"

As the midnight sky began to empty its frozen contents Salamander Longbottom whispered in his wife's ear and the two of them bid goodnight to the few remaining guests before heading out into the icy night. Most people had dispersed by then including James and Holly who had both disappeared hours before and the newlyweds had already taken bets on which of their homes they had gone to. Rose pulled her cloak tightly around her as she left the marquee and held her head down as she walked into the cold blast but when she lifted her head again she gasped loudly at the pure white horse stood in front of her. It was dazzlingly bright and was pulling behind it a pristinely white sleigh with red velvet seats covered over with a partial roof which was hung with deep red curtains. A short man in black and white dress robes was stood by a small set of steps which led up to the carriage and Salamander held out his hand to Rose who took it and stepped up into the sleigh. She sat down on the soft seats and waited for her husband to climb in beside her, once he was comfortable he cast a spell at their feet which instantly set a small flame burning to warm their toes, then he put his arm around Rose and held her close as the horse began to trot forwards and the carriage began to move. The few remaining guests, including both of their parents, came to wave them off as they left their wedding in style wrapped up together inside the cosy open sleigh. After a few moments the whole thing began to rise off the ground and Rose looked around startled as they began to climb higher and higher through the snow filled sky racing across the hills and valleys on their way to a new life, together. "Are you happy Mrs Longbottom?" Salamander asked rubbing his nose against hers.

"I've never been happier," she returned kissing him softly on the lips. James had been right (and this was the only time she was ever going to admit it!) all she had ever wanted was someone to love her as much as she loved him and she had finally found that and along with it her real self, she had let the old, desperate Rose go and she never needed to be that person again. They may only have been dating for four months in reality but they had known each other their whole lives and Rose knew now that she would follow the family tradition when it came to love and marriage. She was going to shower it on Salamander Longbottom for the rest of her life because he was her friend, her lover and her soulmate and nothing was ever going to come between them again.

**AN: Sorry to my reviewer who liked James and Annemarie but I sort of went off her a bit; there are more James stories to come with a new girl who I really really like so stay tuned if you still want to read about him!**


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